I use to be very intimidated to cook shrimp, I was always worried I would over cook them and make them taste rubbery, fishy or some weird combination of the both. I had a dish very similar to this at a restaurant before and thought I bet I could recreate this at home. And guess what cooking shrimp isn’t hard at all, its actually really easy.
This is what I came up with and DT absolutely loves it. Every time I make it he says its the best he’s ever had, and a big plus it super quick and easy to make. The hardest part is peeling the shrimp; I usually buy the kind that is already devined. This pasta is wonderfully creamy with a hint of kick from the pepper and the Italian seasonings.
Ingredients:1 pkg penne pasta, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 lb peeled devined shrimp, 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, 3 cloves garlic, minced, 1/2 cup diced onion, 1 zucchini squash, 2 cans Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped, 1 1/2 cups heavy cream (I’ve also used half & half),1/2 tsp salt, 3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
Add oil to pan, Chop onion and mince garlic and let brown
Cut ends off the zuke, slice in half, and in half again, then slice in smaller pieces
Add to pan
Add a touch more oil and add red pepper flakes, scoot veggies aside to absorb the oil cook for a few minutes
Drain canned tomatoes
Start pasta water and add about a tsp of salt to water
Once boiling add package of pasta, I choose whole wheat pasta and it takes about 2-3 minutes longer than regular pasta.
Once veggies have soften add shrimp
Then add tomatoes, if you just have regular diced tomatoes, just add 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Add cream and cook for about 10 minutes till sauce has thickened.
Drain pasta, and add to shrimp sauce
Mix well
Serve with fresh basil and garlic rounds!
Enjoy!
Creamy Shrimp Pasta
1 pkg penne or bowtie pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb peeled devined shrimp
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 zucchini squash
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cans Italian-style plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (I’ve also used half & half)
1/2 tsp salt
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to
10 minutes, or until al dente; drain and set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Stir red pepper flakes and then add in onion, zucchini, and garlic, cook until onion is tender. Then add shrimp, tomatoes, half & half, and salt. Simmer until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir cooked pasta into sauce, and heat through. Sprinkle with basil and serve.