Does anyone else wish that you could eat as much pasta as you wanted and not have to worry about a thing? No? Uh, me neither… 😉 Well, with this recipe, you can almost do just that!
I LOVE PASTA. Unfortunately, if you were to eat it all the time it would cause most people (including myself) to gain unnecessary weight and feel lethargic. In the short term, the carbs make us feel comforted by increasing our serotonin levels, but not so good about our bodies when the initial high wears off. Let me be clear. Our bodies need carbs. They are one of the three building blocks used for everyday energy. With that said, every person needs only a specific amount of carbs. These numbers can easily be calculated using a formula found by Googling “how many grams of carbs do I need to eat in a day”. It is when we over eat that we feel bloated and fatigued*.
From a health standpoint, consuming pasta is okay for most people (if you have diabetes or other health conditions, speak with your doctor about carbohydrate consumption). With that said, consuming pasta made from white flour is no bueno. The process by which white flour is made strips the originally whole wheat grain of most, if not all, of it’s nutrients. If you are going to consume pasta made from wheat flour, make sure it is 100% whole wheat instead of white and bleached (also make sure to check the box to see if there are any added sugars or high fructose corn syrup). I use 100% whole wheat flour occasionally for breads and pastries, but turn to gluten free flours whenever possible. “Gluten free” is becoming such a fad that some people actually get turned off by ingredients labeled as so. What most people do not know is that there are dozens of different, inexpensive flours available at the grocery store that naturally do not contain gluten. While I am not necessarily against gluten, it definitely causes fatigue in me personally. I still eat gluten, but I have decreased the amount I was eating before. Below is a list of the flours I always have on hand that are naturally gluten free and healthier substitutions for white flour:
- Almond flour
- Chickpea (Garbanzo) flour
- Buckwheat flour – used to make AMAZING pancakes
- Coconut flour
- Arrowroot flour
Any of the above can also be used to thicken soups and recipes that call for cornstarch (also not the healthiest ingredient).
Now that you know a little more about gluten and gluten free options, this is where gluten free pasta comes into play. While you can choose to eat 100% whole wheat flour as a healthier pasta option, there are countless amount of pastas that are made with even more nutritious and tasty ingredients than wheat. When creating recipes, I have used everything from spinach linguini to black bean penne. Talk about YUM. The options are endless and in my opinion, most often they are tastier than regular wheat pasta. If there are not wheat derivatives,wheat, barley or rye flours on the ingredient list, your pasta is gluten free! Therefore, if you are like me and feel fatigued even after eating whole wheat pasta, you can rejoice in knowing there are other options! You can find pasta made out of different flours or legumes at most grocery stores. At Giant, they are usually found in the organic/”healthy food” isle. Another WONDERFUL place you can find gluten free pasta CHEAP is Aldi! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Aldi is life. They carry a brand of gluten free items called “liveGfree” and their pastas are made from brown rice and quinoa. I feel amazing after eating them, and I am provided with the healthy carbs my body needs to function. Plus, you cannot even tell that the pasta is gluten free! We have made many meals for family and friends and they haven’t been able to tell the difference. All of the yum, none of the guilt or fatigue! And if you are shopping at Aldi, you’re not breaking the bank! Each bag serves about 7 meals and costs around $2.99. Totally worth it.
Now that I am finished with my little soap box for the day, let’s get to the actual recipe.
Because I no longer feel the burden of eating pasta, I’m working on a fair amount of pasta recipes because we eat it about 2-3 times a week. The other days we switch between brown rice, quinoa, and several kinds of potatoes. Shuffling between different kinds of carbs is better for your body because of the individualized nutrients you get from each food item. This recipe is actually based off of one that I wanted to try and recreate from my 24th birthday. We went out for dinner at a local, family-owned Italian restaurant and the meal was incredible. Thankfully they did have a whole wheat option, but the combination of ingredients was so phenomenal, I would have ordered white pasta anyway! The different textures and flavors from the sun-dried tomatoes and penne noodles were unreal. I knew that I had to try and make this on my own. Almost six months later and here we are! Only this time, I decided to add my own twist to it: asparagus! I also created the recipe using my homemade Basil Pesto, which takes all but 5 minutes to make.
The recipe is also easily doubled for large families or dinner parties. Trust me… your family will be begging for leftovers. My husband couldn’t stop himself from getting a second helping. He almost consumed his entire lunch for the next day! I hope you enjoy this as much as we did.
♥
Pesto Shrimp and Pasta Skillet – Dairy, nut, and gluten free!
Notes
Cook time depends on the size of the shrimp used, and if they are precooked. The larger the shrimp the longer it will take. If the shrimp is precooked and just needs to thaw, saute until the shrimp are thawed and heated thoroughly. Times are also for a gas stove. Some cooking times must be extended for an electric stove.
Ingredients
- 1 bushel of asparagus about 1 lb.
- 5 1/2 Tbs EVOO (1/2 Tbs for asparagus and 5 Tbs. to add to pan for sauce)
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 5 servings of pasta (see specific package - if Aldi liveGfree, 2 1/2 cups dried pasta)
- 1 Lemon
- 1-2 Tbs dried basil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbs minced dried onion
- Small amount of ground salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 12 oz. frozen shrimp uncooked
- 1/2 cup 5-Minute Basil Peto
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F
- Wash and trim the hard ends off of the asparagus and place on a cookie sheet.
- Spray or drizzle with olive oil and grind some black pepper on them to personal taste
- Bake for 12 minutes.
- While the asparagus are baking, cook pasta according to directions on the package.
- If you are using my homemade pesto, it can be made at this time.
For the sauce
- Once the asparagus is done, cut it into 2" pieces and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet on medium high heat for a minute or two.
- Add the juice of one lemon and the remaining extra virgin olive oil.
- Mix around the sauce with a large cooking spoon and allow to heat up another minute.
- Add the cut up asparagus to the pan. Stir.
- Add the basil, garlic powder, minced dried onion, salt, and pepper. Stir.
- Saute for about 3 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Add sun-dried tomatoes and shrimp. Stir. Cover with a lid and cook until the shrimp are pink and done. Stir occasionally.
- Once the shrimp is done, add the pesto to the pan and stir until well combined.
- Add the cooked pasta and stir.
- Allow skillet to cook for another 2 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
*Side note: any “diet” that is asking you to eliminate carbs is depriving you of the energy and nutrients your body needs to function. You may look good in that bathing suit, but your actual health and well-being will suffer. Restricting carbs is needed in some medical situations, but at the discretion of a healthcare provider.
I'm a 20-something foodie with a passion for travel. As a self taught chef, I believe food is what brings us together. When I'm not in my kitchen creating recipes, I love connecting with people as I experience cuisines from other cultures. Come join me on my culinary and travel adventures!