MORE Heavenly Shrimp Pasta!

I did it again...

I made another Shrimp Pasta dish tonight.  My little 3 year old LOVES shrimp and adores pasta.  Therefore, after Shrimp Linguine, Shrimp Pasta in Foil...........I wanted MORE I TELL YOU!!!!  So I went to my source of all sources right now....that's right...Pioneer Woman.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/09/cooking_with_my_punk-ass_little_sister_penne_a_la_betsy/

  Photos courtesy of the Pioneer Woman

Here you go, step by step to culinary bliss.......

The Cast of Characters: Shrimp, Penne (or other short pasta), butter, olive oil, onion, garlic, tomato sauce, heavy cream, parsley, basil, salt, and pepper. Brace yourselves, people. Your life’s about the change for the better. And your hips for the bigger.

Just for kicks, put a pot of water on the stove to boil. This will come in handy later, when you want to cook the pasta. I tell ya, it’s tips like these that’ll keep you guys coming back here, I just know it.

Let’s start by sauteing 1 pound of extra large shrimp. It should already be peeled and deveined.

First, give ‘em a good rinse under cool water.

Now heat about a tablespoon of butter and olive oil in a skillet.

Add the raw shrimp…

And cook for a couple of minutes…

Until just opaque. No need to cook the heck out of the babies.

Remove to a plate and let cool for a few.

And heck, go ahead and throw in the pasta. I use 1 pound of penne, but rigatoni or fusilli would also be divine.

Now let’s chop a small onion: first, cut the onion in half from root to top.

Then cut off the tops.

Turn each half on its side and make long, vertical slices…

Then rotate the onion 45 degrees and slice downward…

To make a fine dice.

Now mince two cloves of garlic: first remove two cloves of garlic from a bulb…

And smash them with a heavy can or glass.

The garlic should pop right out of the papery skin.

Now begin chopping the garlic…Until it’s pretty finely minced.

Now heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet…

And add 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Add garlic…

And onion…

And begin cooking, stirring occasionally.

Now, put the cooked shrimp on a cutting board and pull off the tails.

Chop the shrimp into relatively small, bite-size pieces.

And set aside.

After you take a big sip or two, pour the rest of the glass into the skillet…

And let the wine evaporate for a couple of minutes. NOTE: If you’re not a wine person, don’t worry! You can use low-sodium chicken broth instead. About 1/2 cup will do, just be sure not to add too much salt later.

Now add an 8 oz can of plain tomato sauce.

Stir together well.

Measure 1 cup heavy whipping cream…

And begin pouring it in, too.

Mmmm….with 1 cup of cream, how bad can it be?

Stir together well and your fantasizing can begin.

Okay, folks. Let’s talk about Tomato Cream Sauce for a minute. It’s sheer Heaven. Sheer Heaven, indeed.

Okay, we talked about it. Now, turn the heat to low and let’s go chop some herbs.

We like parsley, for one. But growing season is over in my garden and the local mom-and-pop grocery only carries the curly stuff. But I’m not afraid. It pretty much tastes the same as flat-leaf—don’t listen to what the food snobs say.

Chop it finely; you only need about a tablespoon of this stuff.

And BASIL is a must. Betsy likes to chiffonade basil the right way: stack several basil leaves on top of one another…

And roll them, lengthwise…

Now, slice the roll into thin strips…

Until it’s all done. Now, this is beautiful and all, but my method of chiffonading basil involves grabbing a bunch of basil, wadding it into a tight ball, and giving it a rough chop. Differences make the world go ’round, that’s what Grandma Helen always told me.

Meanwhile, back at the tomato cream sauce, go ahead and dump in the chopped shrimp.

Ohhhhh, baby. Oh. Baby.

Give it a good stir, and add some salt and black pepper to taste. And be sure to taste as you go along!

Throw in the herbs. A lot of basil in this dish is always a good thing.

And stir together.

Until well combined. What I love about this dish is that it’s so textural; it isn’t a soupy, thin sauce with a couple of shrimps thrown in. The shrimp is a huge part of the dish.

Now drain the pasta…

And add it into the sauce.

It’s really best if you only use about 3/4 of the pasta—so, 3/4 pound. Save the rest for your kids’ mac and cheese or do what the Italians do and give it to your hungry puppy outside.

Mmmm….now stir together…

Until well combined. See how chunky and hearty it looks? Now, taste one more time and add more salt and pepper if needed. Always check your seasonings at the end!

Now to serve, give everyone a fork and eat straight from the pan, OR you can pour it into a heated serving bowl.

And Voila! Penne a la Punk-Ass Betsy! If you love shrimp and pasta, you’ve finally come home. If you don’t…you’ve finally come home.

Enjoy!

Recipe: Penne a la Betsy

Prep Time: 25 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 25 Minutes  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 6

Print Recipe3"x5" Cards4"x6" CardsFull Page

Ingredients

• ¾ pounds Penne Pasta
• 1 pound Shrimp
• 3 Tablespoons Butter
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole Onion (small)
• 2 cloves Garlic
• ½ cups White Wine, Or To Taste
• 1 can Tomato Sauce (8 Oz)
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• Fresh Parsley, to taste
• Fresh Basil - To Taste
• Salt To Taste
• Pepper To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Cook the penne pasta until tender-firm, also known as al dente.

Peel, devein and rinse (under cool water) 1 pound of extra large 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. 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 sauté, 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 if you’re feeling very proper, chiffonaded.

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.

This recipe and photos are property of The Pioneer Woman and it is spectacular!!!!!!!! Thank you Ree for the wonderfulness that is shrimp and pasta in cream sauce.  My daughter and husband loved it!  

You are my hero Pioneer Woman~

Bon Appetit!

Denise   =)

"Je suis reconnaissant pour mes bénédictions."
 "I am thankful for my blessings."