Shrimp (and Chicken) Linguine Alfredo

I'm not sure whether or not tonight's meal would be counted as a success.... my daughter and I ate it quite willingly, while my son was given the alternative to got to bed (at 5:30pm) or eat his damn supper. He finally chose to eat his supper, and I think he even liked it, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't like me right now.

Despite my son's finicky taste, I think this really was a pretty good supper. The original recipe didn't call for any chicken, but I tossed some in anyway. Here's a general idea of how I made it:

SHRIMP & CHICKEN LINGUINE ALFREDO

1 lb. linguine (I didn't use that much, just because I knew we'd have tons left over.)

10 oz. baby spinach (I used about 4 handfuls, but I should have put a couple more - it really shrinks down when you wilt it)

3 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. flour

2 c. half & half

1/4 tsp. nutmeg (I used Pumpkin Pie Spice)

salt & pepper

3/4 c. parmesan cheese (I used grated parmesan, not the stuff you shake)

1 chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces

1 c. shrimp (raw, peeled)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 c. grape tomatoes

Cook linguine in boiling water for about 10-12 minutes, and add spinach during the last minute of cooking. Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan and whisk in flour. Gradually add half & half, mixing well. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese. Cover to keep warm. In a frying pan, heat a bit of oil or butter and add garlic. Add chicken and cook for a couple minutes, then add shrimp and grape tomatoes. Cook for a few more minutes until shrimp is cooked and tomatoes begin to burst. Combine everything together and serve.

There was about 3/4 c. of alfredo sauce leftover, but if I had cooked up all the linguine it would have been the perfect amount of sauce. I thought this meal turned out really well, and the kids seemed to like it (William just objected to the "green stuff" even though I hardly gave him any spinach.) It made a huge batch, probably enough for 6 adults, and it was very simple to make. Even though I normally hate pasta, this was actually pretty good!