A dish of creamy warm comfort food, this Creamed Spinach Tortellini with Seasoned Shrimp is the perfect thing for a hearty Winter meal.

New year, a new you, right?

I’ve seen my social media feeds inundated with every inspirational meme ever conceivable. Long lists of probably unrealistic resolutions? That seems to be the trend. Meanwhile I’m still over here whipping up creamy comfort dishes.

I’ll keep my cheese and pasta on my menu. You gotta do you.

I figure I’ll aim for something like smaller portion sizes for myself.

I’m largely cooking in preparation of easy to reheat meals during this weekend’s forecast-ed snow storm. Instead of trying to cut the carbs out, I’ll balance them out by pulling on my snow pants, gloves, and Winter boots and getting outside with the kids more.

Instead of whining about weather I can’t change, I’m going to choose to embrace it. 

Just like my meals end up being lighter in the Summer since we’re not super hungry or looking for anything heavy after spending a day at the pool in the heat– the opposite’s the case in Winter.

The meals may be heavier, but we’ll embrace the activities that have us craving creamy, cheesy, carbs. You know– sledding, snowball fights, and not breaking a sweat just from stepping outside. I’m a cold weather gal, I’m gonna make the most of it.

Which is exactly why you’ll find me settling into a bowl of Creamed Spinach Tortellini with Seasoned Shrimp when dinner time rolls around.

Seriously. Nothing says snow storm comfort food for us quite like a bowl of this Creamed Spinach Tortellini with Seasoned Shrimp.

A thick, homemade cream sauce featuring Parmesan, gouda, and cream cheeses with a hint of nutmeg. Your favorite cooked cheese tortellini are stirred right in with fresh baby spinach. Topped with large pieces of  sauteed, Old Bay seasoned shrimp it’s a hearty dish that’s as inviting to look at, as it is to dig right on into.

It’s the perfect way to warm up around the supper table on a cold Winter evening. Bonus points if it’s to take the chill off after your kids have pummeled you with snowballs in the first family fight of the season.

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Creamed Spinach Tortellini with Seasoned Shrimp

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

1 hr

 

Cheese tortellini and fresh spinach are stirred into a triple cheese blended cream sauce, and served topped with seasoned shrimp for maximum cold weather comfort in one simple dish.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4

Ingredients

For The Creamed Spinach Tortellini

• 1 lb of cheese tortellini cooked & drained
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 1/2 cups half & half
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
• 4 oz cream cheese softened
• 1/2 cup of crumbled smoked Gouda cheese
• 16 oz of fresh baby spinach washed and dried
• pinch of red pepper flakes

For The Seasoned Shrimp

• 1 lb medium-large shrimp peeled and deveined
• 1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

To Make The Creamed Spinach Tortellini

1. In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and let it cook, stirring occasionally, for about a minute to cook out the floury taste.
2. Turn the heat up to high and stir in the half and half, a little bit at a time, adding more each time the mixture thickens and comes back together. Once it's all incorporated and the mixture's begun to thicken a bit, reduce the heat to medium again.
3. Stir in all of the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the tortellini, until the cheese is completely melted and the spinach has begun to wilt slightly.
4. Toss the cooked tortellini into the creamed spinach mixture until evenly coated.
5. Serve as is, or reduce the heat to low and stir occasionally, while you prepare the shrimp.

To Make The Seasoned Shrimp

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, toss the shrimp together with the Old Bay, salt, and olive oil.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the seasoned shrimp to the skillet, cooking on both sides, just until cooked through. Remove the skillet from heat immediately to prevent over-cooking.
3. Ladle the tortellini mixture into bowls to serve, and top each bowl with a generous helping of shrimp.
4. Enjoy immediately.

recipe adapted from Darius Cooks