Recipe Revisit: Mediterranean Penne with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

As the weather continues to get warmer (and then colder....and then warmer), it prompts me to go through my recipes and find ones that feel more suitable for the warmer temps. This one is a revisit, one I posted a while back, but is still a good one! MG and I made this one again last week and it was super delicious!

Mediterranean Penne with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Shrimp!

This dish is SO good, and makes about 5-6 servings. It's flavorful, healthy and just all around YUM!

The original recipe did not have shrimp in it, so if you don't like/want shrimp, just take out that step!

What You Need:

-1 lb. shrimp (no tail, deveined), fresh or frozen (just make sure it's thawed)

-1 box whole wheat penne
-1 cup feta cheese
-2 tsp. minced garlic, divided (mine was from the jar)
-3/4 C. sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, chopped
-1/2 C. pine nuts
-about 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
-2 Cups baby spinach
-1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
-1/2 tsp black pepper
-salt to taste, if desired (I omitted this)

What You Do:
1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions in a large pot. Drain and return to pot.

2. While the pasta is cooking, add 1 Tbsp. olive oil to a frying pan along with 1 tsp minced garlic. Let it heat up over low-medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add in the shrimp and cook through. Set aside and keep warm.

3. Using the same pan, add another 1 Tbsp. olive oil to the pan, and another 1 tsp. minced garlic. Let it heat up, and add in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and the oil from the jar, the black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.

Continue to saute for about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes soften.
*I've since began buying the julienne-cut sun dried tomatoes which work out much better*

4. Add the shrimp back into the frying pan and mix. Cook another minute or so.

5. Add the contents of the frying pan to your cooked and drained noodles in the pot. Turn the heat onto low.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, toss to coat, and heat for another minute or two. Add in the pine nuts, and baby spinach, and mix. Turn off the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and let the spinach wilt a bit, about 2 minutes.

6. Add the feta cheese on top, and mix.

7. Serve it up and enjoy!

I promise, you're going to love this dish!