Shrimp and Penne Pasta

I have been wanting to make this for a very long time and I'm glad I finally just did it. Ben loves shrimp and I probably make it much too little as far as he's concerned. I love the simplicity of this dish, and the few simple ingredients. Yet, it still bursts with flavor. My kids really liked it too (minus the shrimp). This is another great meal for a warm summer evening.

3/4 lb penne pasta (I used whole wheat)
1 lb Shrimp
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 whole onion (small)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup white cooking wine
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. fresh Basil
salt & pepper

Cook the penne pasta until 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 1/2 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.

Chop the herbs. Add the 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 the cooked penne pasta and give it a good stir.


SOURCE:The Pioneer Woman, and This Mommy Cooks