Shrimp, Bacon and Spinach Salad
When I was a kid, my mom used to make a wilted salad. She would toss spinach with a hot dressing and then top the salad with hard cooked eggs and croutons. The dressing was made with some of the bacon fat, since there was always bacon in the salad, too. That was the inspiration for this salad.
I had planned to make a tossed salad with some fresh spinach, but something told me to go in another direction. Since I already had bacon and shrimp, I decided to just put them all together. With just a few extra ingredients tossed in, I ended up with a really good dinner. Sort of like those wilted salads my mom used to make.
I didn’t have a lot of time, so the fact that it was ready in about 15 minutes was nice, too. I put the pasta on to cook when I started cooking the bacon to save even more time.
Shrimp, Bacon and Spinach Salad
3-4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 shallots- or 1 small onion- chopped fine
2 cloves minced garlic
8 oz. fresh spinach
8 oz. raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
¼ c. sherry
¼ c. chopped parsley
½ t. grated ginger
½ t. red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked pasta
Cook bacon in skillet until almost cooked. Add the shallots and cook until shallots are just turning brown. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add spinach and cook, stirring often, until spinach is wilted down. Add shrimp and continue cooking until shrimp are just barely cooked. Add sherry and seasonings and cook 2 minutes more. Toss with hot pasta and serve. Serves 2.
Note: You can add some fresh Parmesan cheese when serving, if you like.
