Meatless Friday: Lemon Fettuccine with Shrimp and Sauteed Greens

For Meatless Friday, Barb Szyszkiewicz shares a recipe for a pasta dish with a punch of lemon flavor. Download our printable recipe card!

This is one of those recipes that's fancy enough for a special occasion but so simple you can toss it together after a busy day. You need only 10 ingredients for the entire meal!

I do need to offer a word of caution. The recipe calls for the juice of half a lemon. I didn't get the chance to put away the other half of the lemon before I served dinner, and my son took that to mean (as it usually does) that the lemon was on the counter so we could add a good squeeze of lemon juice to the dinner after it was on our plates. He learned the hard way that the lemon I'd already added to the recipe was plenty!

Lemon Fettuccine with Shrimp and Sauteed Greens

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and cleaned, patted dry
1 tsp dried minced garlic
1 1/2 to 2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (or to taste)
3 TBL olive oil, divided
2 shallots, sliced
8 cups fresh baby spinach or spring greens (or a combination)
8 oz. fresh fettuccine or pasta of your choice
3 TBL butter
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions

1. Put on the water to boil for the pasta; when it boils, add the pasta and cook until it's al dente; drain.

2. Meanwhile, toss shrimp in garlic, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper.

3. Heat a heavy skippet. Add half the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp, cooking in batches so the pan is not too crowded. Cook shrimp 2 minutes per side and remove to a bowl. Cover to keep warm.

4. Add remaining oil to the same skillet and sauté the shallots. Add greens, cover, and simmer until greens are wilted.

5. When pasta is cooked and drained, melt the butter in the pasta pot. Return pasta to the pot, stir, and then add lemon juice and shrimp. Stir to combine and serve with greens on the side.