It's amazing the kind of dishes you can throw together with a little creativity. I had not been to the grocery store in quite some time, but [thankfully] I had a few basic items around the house, and I almost always have shrimp in the freezer. It's always a good idea to keep pastas and canned tomatoes around. If you eat as much pasta as I do, constantly buying pasta sauce in jars can add up. I've learned that keeping a can of diced, whole, or stewed tomatoes in the pantry can be really helpful in a pinch. They are essentially a blank slate for an Italian sauce that you can take in several directions. Adding in Italian spices, cloves of garlic and a splash of red or white wine takes a .99 can of tomatoes to the next level.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup penne pasta
handful of frozen (or fresh) shrimp, thawed
1 can of diced tomatoes in italian spices
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp italian spices or basil, oregano
salt & pepper
olive oil
white or red wine (optional)
what to do:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Start a pot of water on the stove to boil - add salt, splash of olive oil
3. Prepare the shrimp on a baking sheet by spreading them out and drizzling them with olive oil, salt, pepper
4. Bake shrimp for 7-9 mins until pink and curled up
5. Once water boils, add in pasta, and cook according to box instructions
6. In the meantime, pour tomatoes into a saucepan and heat to simmering
7. Add in the minced garlic, italian spices, and a splash of red or white wine
8. Let the sauce reduce for a few minutes, and add in the shrimp once it's ready
9. Drain and rinse pasta, return to pan
10. Add sauce to pasta
11. Serve with shredded parmesan over the top
