Bare Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package dry fettuccine pasta
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 tablespoon bacon drippings
• olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• ½ small onion, chopped
• 14 ounces frozen shelled and deveined medium shrimp - thawed and patted dry
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 4 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste (Optional)

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once it’s bubbling, add the fettuccine and cook it uncovered, stirring now and then, until it’s tender but still has a bit of bite—about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta well and set it aside.

Step 2

While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon until it’s nice and crispy, around 5 minutes. Drain off all but a tablespoon of the bacon fat, then add the olive oil to the skillet. Toss in the garlic and onion, cooking until the onion turns translucent and soft, about 5 minutes.

Step 3

Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook just until they turn pink and opaque, which should take 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle in the Italian seasoning, black pepper, and diced tomatoes. Let everything simmer together, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the liquid reduces by half—this will take about 10 minutes.

Step 4

Use a spoon to push the shrimp to the edges of the skillet. Pile the spinach in the center, cover the pan, and cook until the spinach wilts, about 3 to 5 minutes. Then stir the spinach into the shrimp mixture. If you like your sauce thicker, stir in some tomato paste at this point. Finally, toss the sauce over the cooked pasta and serve.