Healthy shrimp pasta with spinach is exactly that...healthy! Don't overlook this one the next time you're looking for a quick, healthy dinner idea.

What’s not to love about this healthy shrimp pasta recipe? It’s got everything it needs for a complete meal. Vegetables, seafood, and an extra kick of fiber from using whole wheat pasta.
Want something else creamy, check out my Creamy Spinach Gnocchi with Basil and Cherry Tomatoes recipe.
Let's make some healthy shrimp pasta with spinach
I used a full pound of whole wheat pasta. Therefore, I was a bit concerned I wouldn’t have enough of the cream sauce to cover the entire dish. But we did. In the recipe below, I ask you to make only 12 oz with the amount of sauce, but just know that even if you make the full pound, you’ll still be ok.
You can use broccoli or kale for this recipe too, but I went with spinach. It complimented the dish so well and nicely took on the creamy sauce.
You can certainly use regular pasta for this dish if you’d like, but I opted to keep it a bit more on the healthier side by using whole wheat penne. The whole wheat flour in this pasta has a bit more fiber and nutrients than the regular stuff, and honestly with the cream sauce, it was hardly noticeable.
Ingredients for this Cream Sauce without using Cream
- Butter - you’ll use the leftover butter from when you cooked the shrimp as a start to the sauce.
- Brown rice flour - slowly whisk in a tbsp of brown rice flour (you can use all-purpose flour too if you'd like).
- Low fat milk - slowly whisk in 2 cups of milk.
- Cream cheese - finally melt in the cream cheese and the parmesan cheese.
- Parmesan-Reggiano (or Parmesan) cheese - love me some cheese!
We’ll be adding the shrimp back into the dish at the end just to coat it with the sauce.
Voila! A beautiful healthy shrimp pasta with spinach.
Want some more healthy shrimp recipes? Be sure to try my Butter and White Wine Shrimp Pasta. It's delish!
Tools I used in this recipe:
- All-Clad Stainless Steel Fry Pan
- Pyrex Measuring Cups
- Chef Craft Colander
- Pyrex Mixing Bowls
- KP Kitchen Measuring Spoons/Cups
Recipe
Healthy Shrimp Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 oz whole wheat penne
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp salted butter
- 6 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 lb raw shrimp detailed, deveined
- 1 tbsp brown rice flour
- 2 cup milk low-fat
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese shredded
- 2 tbsp cream cheese
- ⅛ tsp crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Boil a salted pot of water. When boiling, cook the pasta per instructions to al dente. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, in a large skillet heat the oil and butter. Once heated, add the garlic and cook for a minute until fragrant. Add the shrimp and cook for 3-4 minutes until cooked through.
- Remove the shrimp from the pan. Slowly whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute.
- Slowly whisk in the milk. Cook for 2-3 minutes stirring frequently until thick.
- Add the Parmesan and cream cheese. Michele until thoroughly combined and the cream cheese is melted.
- Working in batches, add the spinach. Cook until completely wilted.
- Add the shrimp back to the pan along with the pasta. Add the pepper. Mix until the pasta is completely covered and warm.
- Serve hot in a bowl. Top with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Savory shrimp dish, yum