Penne Alla Betsy

Welcome to my first blog posting!  I have been holding out on getting a good picture of one of my dishes.  I finally realized if that is what I am waiting for then I will never post my first dish.

We have made this recipe a few times now and absolutely love it.  I can't take much credit for cooking it this time around.  I came home late from work earlier this week to find my amazing husband put it all together along with a glass of red wine!  I am one lucky girl.

This dish is super easy.  It comes from one of my favorite cookbooks the Pioneer Woman Cooks.  I frequently turn to her website and cookbook for recipe ideas.

Alex forgot to put in the white wine and it still tasted okay, but I definitely think it adds a nice flavor.  I prefer to use fresh herbs, but this was the only thing that called for fresh basil this week so I used dry instead.  Just make sure to look up the conversion so you do not use too much!

I am gluten free so I used a pasta that does not contain any wheat flour.  This time we used a new brand of gluten free pasta and unfortunately Alex threw away the bag before I had a chance to see the name.  It was delicious.  You would not have known the difference.  There are rice based gluten free pastas that are not my favorite, but will do if that is all you have.  My go to brand is Quinoa.  It is in a teal box.  I have found it at Kroger and Whole Foods.  My husband loves it and says it tastes like "normal" pasta.

Hope you enjoy!

Penne Alla Betsy
From:  The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Serves:  4-6

1 pound penne pasta
1 pound of large shrimp (I used jumbo because that is what we had in the freezer)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (we always throw in a little extra because we love garlic)
1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
one 14.5 ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley (we omitted this too because we did not have any fresh on hand)
6 basil leaves, cut
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to directions (al dente).  Add a little salt to the water while bringing to a boil.  Drain pasta and set aside.

Peel and devein shrimp if they are not already.  Rinse under cold water.

In a small skillet, over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  When the pan is hot add the shrimp.  Stir and cook on both sides until it is just starting to turn opaque, about 2 minutes.  Remove to a plate and allow to cool slightly.

In a large skillet, over medium heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Add the garlic and onion.  Stir occasionally until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.  Pour wine into the pan.  Stir and allow to evaporate, about 45 seconds.    Next pour in the tomato sauce and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low.  Pour in the cream and stir well to combine.  Reduce heat to a simmer.

Add the shrimp to the sauce and stir gently.  Next add the basil and parsley and stir.  Finally, add the pasta and combine.

If the sauce is too thick you can thin it with a little bit of milk.

Great with a salad, bread, or by itself.