Garlicky Shrimp

I bought some frozen shrimp at TJ's last week and it felt like I better get to using them. I decided to go with pasta and based on what I had in the pantry, whip up a sort of faux-scampi, which in my mind basically just meant use a lot of garlic. While the pasta cooked, I chopped up a massive clove of garlic, then placed it in a skillet with about a half cup of olive oil and some red chili flakes. I started it cold, then brought the heat up slowly, to infuse the oil with flavor.

Meanwhile, I defrosted the shrimp by just running some water over them for a few minutes. To my dismay, I'd accidentally bought unpeeled shrimp but it didn't take too long to peel them. When the pasta was almost done, and the garlic was beginning to brown, I added the shrimp and sauteed them until they were just cooked through. I had a random jar of sun-dried tomatoes in the pantry (bought with a recipe in mind that I'm yet to get to and didn't have the ingredients for), so I mixed in a good helping of those. When the pasta was al dente, I tossed it directly into the skillet, adding a small pat of butter and some salt and pepper. A little parm finished it off.

The result was gloriously garlicky and very tasty. The frozen shrimp isn't anything special, but it is a nice change of pace to chicken or tofu. I have to admit I am getting pretty good at making up dishes on the fly. I used to make pasta often but I always felt like it would end up bland. I am really learning how to make my dishes have a lot of flavor and punch. Here's the recipe as I made it. Enjoy!


Garlicky Penne with Shrimp and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Serves 2

1/2 pound penne pasta
8-10 medium shrimp, peeled
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. red chili flakes
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 jar sliced sun-dried tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese for sprinkling on top (optional)

Cook pasta is salted boiling water until al dente. Place olive oil, garlic, and chili flakes into a large cold skillet and turn heat on medium-low. Allow oil to lightly bubble and cook garlic until golden brown. Add butter and then shrimp, salt and pepper, sauteing until just cooked through. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes to heat through, then add drained pasta, and salt and pepper if needed. Toss together and add Parmesan cheese. Serve hot.