Have you ever been in a situation where you thought you will be eating out and things changed last minute so you end up eating at home? That was me on Friday so I had to pull a meal together for my family with short notice. Luckily I had shrimp in the freezer and some pasta in the pantry so I couldn’t resist but making my delicious shrimp pasta with lemon and cilantro dish. This meal is very easy to make and was on the table within 30 minutes. Shrimp is an excellent protein source. 3 oz of shrimp (around the size of your palm) has around 20 g of protein which is similar to 3 oz of chicken. For the pasta I used Ronzoni Healthy Harvest, a whole wheat pasta that also has ancient grains (quinoa, amaranth, millet, sorghum, and teff) making it rich in whole grains and fiber. One serving has 5 g of fiber. The lemon and cilantro create a delicious flavor for a meal that is so easy and satisfying.

Prep Time: 30 minutes Servings: 3
Ingredients:
½ box ancient grains spaghetti pasta (or any whole wheat pasta)
freshly cut cilantro
1 bag frozen shrimp (skin off, devined)
1 lemon, squeezed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp parsley
¼ tsp chili flakes (or to desired spiciness)
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Cook pasta according to box instructions (remember to not overcook the pasta)
2. Marinate the shrimp with ½ lemon, garlic, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper for 5 minutes.
3. In a skillet place the shrimp and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked. Add the rest of the lemon juice, chili flakes and fresh cilantro.
4. Toss cooked shrimp over pasta and serve.