Shrimp and Summer Veggie Pasta

A couple of years ago, my mom started making this summer veggie pasta that we all instantly fell in love with. She had leftover vegetables that needed to be used up and wanted to make something that would incorporate all of that well, and this is what came to her brilliant mind. I've been a fan ever since, and I can still modify this dish in a way that allows me to reach my goals and still enjoy my favorite family dishes!

This one is a little more time consuming just because of timing the pasta and the veggies, but the shrimp cooks super fast and gets thrown in within the last 2 minutes, and this is the perfect recipe if you want a warm, home-cooked meal away at school. I personally find this an easy recipe cause I always like to have zucchini and squash on hand for this particular dish, but you can vary ingredients/veggies based on what you have. And would you guys believe this was only the first bowl? The macros are for 2 entire bowls of this pasta and it was so filling and going back for seconds was amazing! I hope you guys enjoy this one, because I certainly did!

MACROS:

CALORIES: 529 calories

PROTEIN: 33.4 grams

CARBOHYDRATES: 72.4 grams

FAT: 14 grams

INGREDIENTS:

- 3 ounces pasta of choice, weighed dry (I used mezzi rigatoni)

- 4 ounces large frozen shrimp

- 2 medium zucchini, chopped

- 5 grams olive oil

- 1/2 onion, sliced thin

- 1 cup cherry tomatoes

- 12 grams grated pecorino romano cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a bowl, weigh out 4 ounces of frozen shrimp and fill the bowl with enough cold water to cover the shrimp. Sprinkle a little bit of kosher salt and set aside to fully defrost for about 10-15 minutes.

2. Wash and dry your zucchini, and chop in half and dice into crescent shaped pieces.

3. Cut your cherry tomatoes in halves and set aside, and thinly slice your yellow onion.

4. Once your shrimp are defrosted, peel and devein and chop into small little pieces that will be well-incorporated into your vegetable mix later on.

5. Pour 5 ml of olive oil in a sauce pan with some minced garlic and let heat, and then throw in your zucchini and onion. Season with salt and pepper. *Do not throw the tomato in with the rest of the veggies as they require less cook time*.

6. Let zucchini and onion cook on medium heat, and when you see them start to get softer, add your tomatoes, and then reduce to a low heat and cover.

7. In a separate pan, boil your water and cook pasta according to box instructions. I cooked mine a little more al dente cause it will cook more once mixed in with the shrimp and veggies.

8. Once the veggies are cooked to your liking, add your diced shrimp pieces. Shrimp cook very fast so this should only take about 2 minutes.

9. Once the shrimp are veggies are well combined and cooked through, add half of your serving of pecorino romano and a splash of pasta water to make it creamier and saucier.

10. Mix in your pasta and adjust seasonings to taste. Plate and serve with the remaining grated pecorino romano cheese and mangia!