Dinner Tonight: Spicy Shrimp Pasta

I've learned from reading other health blogs and fitness magazines that incorporating "spicy" flavors into your meals is not only satisfying to your taste buds, but also helps your metabolism function properly. 

So I decided to incorporate two of my favorite foods, shrimp and pasta to create this spicy shrimp pasta recipe. 

Here's what you'll need: 

• 7 frozen, cooked shrimp
• 2 ounces of whole grain or wheat pasta (you can use any brand of pasta, I like using Barilla thin spaghetti or angel hair)
• 1 cup spinach 
• 1 small tomato 
• 1 tsp. of hot sauce 
• Spices to taste: black pepper, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, and Italian seasoning 

Everything you'll need

Next: start boiling the water for the pasta. While you're waiting for the water to be brought to a boil, you'll need to thaw out the shrimp. Follow the directions on the package but usually all you need to do is put the shrimp in a strainer and run under cool water for about 5-8 minutes. Once the shrimps are thawed, the tails can be removed. 


You're almost done! Put the pasta in the water and cook for about 10-12 minutes. Cut the tomato up into bite size pieces, add the tomatoes, shrimp and spices to a small skillet. Cook over a medium-low heat for about 8 minutes. Add the spinach and a touch of hot sauce to the skillet  when you think your pasta is about done. The spinach will cook very fast. 


Strain the pasta and put it on a plate or in a bowl. Pour the spicy shrimp and contents of the skillet over the pasta and enjoy! 

Yum. 

Nutritional Information: entire dish is about 275 calories