By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 11, 2026
Serves 8
243 cal · 25 min
Pasta With Shrimp And Spinach
Recipe GLPRc7887af201a813
A light and elegant Italian-inspired pasta dish featuring tender shrimp sautéed with garlic and red pepper, tossed with penne and fresh baby spinach, then finished with tangy crumbled feta cheese and briny kalamata olives. Ready in under 30 minutes, this pescatarian main course is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or elegant gathering.
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Ingredients
3/4 pound penne pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Kosher salt to taste
2 cups baby spinach
2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup halved kalamata olives
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced garlic and crushed red pepper, stirring for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the shrimp to the skillet and season with kosher salt. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until the shrimp are opaque and reach an internal temperature of 145°F, stirring occasionally. Do not overcook.
Add the baby spinach to the skillet and stir gently until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the cooked penne to the skillet with the shrimp and spinach. Toss gently to combine, adding reserved pasta water as needed to create a light sauce. Season with additional salt to taste.
Divide the pasta among serving bowls and top each portion with crumbled feta cheese and halved kalamata olives. Serve immediately.
Comments
All ingredients are reliably stocked at Charlotte-area Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Walmart, and ALDI, with shrimp a particular strength given coastal access. The stated 25 minutes is honest for cooking; true hands-on time including pasta water and sautéing spinach runs closer to 30, but nothing here demands multi-tasking. At 8 servings, this feeds a weeknight family well without fussiness—pasta cooks unattended, shrimp needs 3–4 minutes in the pan, spinach wilts in at the end. The real cost driver is shrimp, typically $9–14 per pound at any local chain; at roughly 1.5 pounds for 8 servings, cost per serving lands around $2.50–3.00 for protein alone, making this a mid-range weeknight option. It reheats adequately in a skillet with a splash of water, though feta will firm up slightly.
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