Sando's Skinny Shrimp Alfredo

"keep it simple, stupid!"
It may be one of the harsh(er) mantras I've adapted recently, but as we ring in the new year, it's one I'm really keen on sticking to for the simple fact that I can translate it into all aspects of my life.


I find it so easy to over complicate things. Everything from what I'm wearing, to my daily lesson plans at school, to what I am making for dinner. Nine times out of ten the simplest things turn out the best. And the over complication of things just causes frustration, anxiety, and in my case pre-mature chest pains. Hence my need to keep it simple, stupid!


This brings me to dinner tonight. A simple dish, that is both delicious and low in calorie consumption. This is a recipe that I have adapted from one of my food crushes, Rocco DiSpirito.  Not only is he an Italian dream-boat, he also has a fantastic cookbook (that I HIGHLY recommend) called Now Eat This!: 150 of America's Favorite Comfort Foods, All Under 350 Calories. It's simply fabulous. He has some fantastic, simple [stupid] tricks that cut calories like crazy, but doesn't cut out any flavah (*flavor, for those of you who don't speak Sha'Naynay)!


And it goes a little something like this...


Sando's Skinny Shrimp Alfredo


Ingredients:

• 16oz uncooked linguine [whole wheat, if ya got it!]
• 1lb shrimp [uncooked, deveined + tail off ]
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch 
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano 
• pinch of nutmeg
• small bunch of fresh chopped parsley
• red pepper flakes [if you like a little kick!]
• 1 tablespoon EVOO 
• S+P (duh)

Serves 4



I cut the recipe in half when making din-din for me and the hubs ;) [duh, again.]



Directions:

1. Time to cook da pasta, mon! Bring a large pot of salted water to a roOOolling boil. Drop the kids into the pool (oye, I watch too much Rachael Ray) and cook to desired done-ness. For linguine, 8-10 mins is pretty standard. 
2. While the pasta is cooking it's time to get the sauce started. Begin by sauteing up your EVOO, garlic, S+P, and onions in a large pan over medium heat. Be careful not to burn the garlic or else it will be yucky and bitter!! [approx. 2-4 mins]
3. While the onions and garlic are becoming one, [ahh take a moment...] whisk together cornstarch, nutmeg, and chicken broth in a small bowl. Or mix it right in the measuring cup, like I do! Reserve for later use. 
4. Once the onions are shiny and but not all the way see-through, add the shrimp. They cook quickly, so watch carefully. When they are light pink all around you know they're done. Remove shrimp to a separate plate [holding area] - to avoid over cooking.
5. Crank up the heat on the onions + garlic left in the pan and add your cornstarch mixture to the pan. Let the bubbly magic begin. Whisk occasionally, and bring to a simmer. Slowly but surely, add the parm, whisking as you go. Once the cheese has melted, remove from heat and whisk in the Greek yogurt until the sauce is creamy and smooth!
6. Drain and rinse your pasta. Add shrimp back to the "finished" sauce pan. Toss pasta with sauce in large bowl or directly in the pan, like me! Plate it up, sprinkle with parsley, and eat up! YUM, enjoy :)

Did you know that if you put a wooden spoon above boiling water it won't boil over?

Yeah, me either- but thanks to Pinterest, I do now ;)










Steps 2-5 



looks good enough to eat! 



• Extras: 
• If you like things spicy [like we do] feel free to add red pepper flakes during step 2.
• Also, I make a "cowboy" version of this that includes adding Old Bay [any Marylander's spice of choice] during step 5. Adds a nice smokey-kick!