Shrimp Pasta With Lettuce and Tomato Salad

Shrimps and pasta go hand in hand in Mediterranean cuisine, and when combined with fresh, leafy lettuce and cherry tomatoes, one gets an extra tasty and healthy meal.

Also, this is another very easy meal to make, with the recipe being simple and straightforward.

Published: February 15, 2021.

Put a large enough pot on the stove and let the water boil. When the water starts to boil, add whole-grain pasta and a little bit of salt.

Mix gently and let it boil for ~10 or so minutes - pasta cooking time varies, so please check the pasta's label for exact cooking time.

While the pasta is being cooked, wash the lettuce and cherry tomatoes. Chop the lettuce and place in a plastic bowl, slice cherry tomatoes (if they are not small enough) and add some sliced onion. Add little bit of salt and perhaps vinegar and mix everything. And no, don't add oil to the salad, it will increase the calories significantly.

If available, add some spring onions instead of onions.

Clean a carrot, some onion, and a clove of garlic and either chop them manually or using a vegetable chopper/slicer.

Vegetable chopper/slicer takes just a few seconds to prepare the carrot and onion - smaller chunks release the fluids and juices faster than the larger ones, but they also can get fried quickly.

When the pasta is done, put the pasta into the strainer.

After that put pot on the stove, add a tablespoon of olive oil, reheat it (not too much), and put the chopped carrot and onion in the pot.

Mix it a minute or two and add the peeled shrimp tails, small laurel leaf, some salt, and depending on your preferences, just a half of glass of a good white wine - alcohol will evaporate, but the flavor will stay.

Also, a tablespoon of strained tomatoes (or tomato juice) can be added for additional flavor.

Mix everything gently for 7-8 minutes and let the shrimps and vegetables release their juices.

When everything is almost done, add some chopped parsley - if You have frozen parsley/celery leaves, add them during cooking. However, if You have fresh parsley leaves, especially if they are grown in a home garden, add them to the dish when the meal is being served.

Note on shrimps - fresh shrimps are far better than frozen ones, but one can easily find frozen peeled shrimps, which can save plenty of time...

When the shrimps are almost done, add cooked pasta into the pot and gently mix everything - let everything cook for a minute or two, and then turn off the heat.

Let the food settle down for 5-10 minutes.

And that is all, shrimps with pasta is - done.

Serve warm.

Shrimps with whole-grain pasta and some salad (lettuce and tomatoes in this case) is an excellent combination, providing complex carbs, proteins, healthy fats, fibers, etc.

Depending on your daily nutrients requirement, vary the amount of ingredients and adjust the macronutrient content according to your own personal needs.

The nutritional content of such meal is given in the following chart:

This whole meal has ~930 kcal and when divided into two portions, each portion contains ~36g of proteins, ~52g of carbs, ~12g of fats, and 9g of fibers. Also, this is a rather satiating meal containing ~465 kcal - the meal is balanced, although most calories come from slow-digesting carbs thanks to whole-grain pasta and salad.

Note: Again, we didn't add any oil to the salad, just some salt, and vinegar - vinegar in combination with some onion is more than enough to improve the taste of lettuce/cherry tomato salad mix. A single tablespoon of (olive) oil contains 15 grams of oil which is an additional 135 kcal...