Shrimp & Artichoke Whole Wheat Pasta Salad Recipe

Whip up this pasta salad for a healthy make-ahead meal or to bring to a potluck. Whole wheat pasta, perfectly seared shrimp and artichokes make a fantastic combination! 313 calories and 6 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP

Having a 9-year old boy, particularly the 9-year old boy (T) that lives in our house, keeps one on one’s toes. I’ve written about his Bigfoot hunting escapades and his elaborately-designed leprechaun traps. Now that the weather is getting nicer, T and his friends head into the field behind our house and spend hours building forts, preparing for invasion (by Bigfoot, I assume) and fashioning bows and arrows from random sticks they find.

In fact, as I write this, I’m watching him climb over the wall, stick in hand, to enter into his land of make-believe battles and spy escapades.

It’s an existence that I read about in books, and it makes my heart burst to see T disappear into the world of imaginary lands and times. It’s free from iPads and video games (though he did spend his fair share of time with these devices), and it brings him nothing but joy.

Of course, it’s also an existence that seems to involve a lot of sharp sticks. I find myself yelling, “Don’t run with that that death poker in your hand!”

“Stop swinging that thing around! You’re going to take someone’s eye out!”

I think it’s my prerogative to yell these things. It’s what mothers do. There’s a reason why we’re told not to run with scissors in our hand. The same can be said for sharp sticks that are taller than my husband, yielded by a 9-year old boy.

Learning the ways and thought processes of a young boy is an adventure unto itself, and there are many times I just don’t get it right.

T: “Should I light off a firecracker in my classroom?”

Me: “Why would you want to do that?”

T: “Because chicks dig bad boys.”

Hmmm….

While I can’t read T’s mind 97% of the time, I can tell you exactly what kinds of food he craves.

Shrimp is at the top of the list. And so this pasta salad is for him. Whole wheat pasta, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes…and lots and lots of perfectly seared shrimp.

The next time he heads back to the fort, I might just pack him a tupperware of this pasta.

After all, a 9-year old boy needs all the fuel he can get, just in case he runs into Bigfoot.

Other whole wheat pasta recipes:

Cookin’ Canuck’s Roasted Tomato & Chicken Sausage Whole Wheat Pasta
Cookin’ Canuck’s Healthy Lasagne with Turkey, Pesto & Peppers
Bowl of Delicious!’s Pasta Puttanesca

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I’ll be sure to find it.

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Shrimp & Artichoke Whole Wheat Pasta Salad Recipe

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Prep Time 18 mins

Cook Time 12 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Whip up this pasta salad for a healthy make-ahead meal or to bring to a potluck. Whole wheat pasta, perfectly seared shrimp and artichokes make a fantastic combination! 313 calories and 6 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP

Yields 8 cups

Ingredients

The dressing

• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp agave nectar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

The pasta salad

• 12 oz. whole wheat orzo pasta
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled & deveined
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained & quartered
• 1/3 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
• 5 large basil leaves, thinly sliced

Directions

The dressing:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, agave nectar, salt and pepper. While whisking, gradually pour in the olive oil until combined.

The pasta salad:

1. Cook the orzo according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat.
3. Add the shrimp and sear until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 90 seconds per side.
4. In a large bowl, combine the orzo, shrimp, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes and basil.
5. Pour the dressing into the salad and toss to combine. Serve.

by Dara

Recipe Notes

Weight Watchers Points: 6 (Freestyle SP), 6 (Points+)

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