Shrimp and Penne Pasta

OK. Brace yourself. This might be my favorite dish I have prepared to date. I mean, I love my sweet and sour chicken recipe, but wow, this was so good! Pasta, shrimp, and a creamy tomato sauce, how could you go wrong? And, it was easy to make. And, my kids L-O-V-E-D it! Put this on your menu soon, I mean it, you will love it.

Penne Shrimp Pasta

slightly adapted from Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients:12 ounces Penne Pasta (I used whole wheat.)
1 pound Shrimp
3 Tablespoons Butter
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 whole Small Onion, diced
2 cloves Garlic
½ cups White Wine (or To Taste)
1 can Tomato Sauce (8 Oz)
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 tsp Parsley
1/2 tsp Basil
Salt To Taste
Pepper To Taste

Directions:Cook the penne pasta until tender-firm, al dente.

Peel, devein and rinse 1 pound of shrimp. Heat about 1 tbsp. butter and olive oil in a skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for a couple minutes until just opaque. Do not overcook them. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Now, put the cooked shrimp on the cutting board and pull off the tails. (You could also take the tails off before cooking, this is what I did.) Chop the shrimp into bite–sized pieces and set aside.

Finely dice one small onion. Mince two cloves of garlic.

In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and saute, stirring occasionally. After the garlic and onions have cooked a bit add your white wine. Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. If you would rather not use wine, you can use low-sodium chicken broth instead (about ½ cup).

Now add an 8-ounce can of plain tomato sauce. Stir well until combined. Then add 1 cup of heavy cream. Continue stirring. Turn heat down to low and let simmer.

Now chop your herbs, about a tablespoon of chopped parsley and about the same amount of chopped basil, or use 1/2 tsp each of dried spices. Now add your chopped shrimp back into the tomato cream sauce. Give it a stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Throw in your herbs and stir until combined. Finally add your cooked penne pasta and give it a good stir.

Cooking Note: You could easily substitute the shrimp for chicken or other meat of choice. The sauce is what makes this dish so delicious.

This recipe is linked to Mangos and Chutney.