I "Heart" Shrimp

Shrimp. It's so delicious! But not all shrimp are created equal. I love this recipe (Chris does too), but it's really important to use fresh, raw shrimp. I made this same recipe for Chris' buddies in California (yes, I even cook on vacation), but I used frozen, raw shrimp. Even though the shrimp still needed to be cooked, it turned out to be kind of "rubbery" in the end. We didn't have a choice though, since they live in a very small town and that's all that was available! This recipe is surprisingly easy, but tastes like you spent hours preparing it. Shrimp lovers, you have to try this!

Shrimp Scampi


Ingredients:


3/4 package of angel hair pasta
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 c. semi-dry white wine
2 Tbsp. dry unseasoned bread crumbs
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Parsley for garnish (optional)


Directions:


1. In a large saute pan, melt butter over medium heat and saute garlic until tender. Add shrimp and cook until pink. Stir in white wine. Stir in bread crumbs (starting with 1 tablespoon) until desired thickness is reached. 
2. Cook angel hair pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente.
3. Drain pasta and add to shrimp/sauce mixture. Toss ingredients. Top with Parmesan cheese if desired and garnish with parsley.




Alissa's notes: Garlic gets bitter when it's overcooked, so add the shrimp just as the garlic starts to get tender. You don't want the garlic to brown. I used White Truck California White Wine. If you need tips on peeling and deveining shrimp, here's a good video (copy and paste into web browser):


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOTMQ2oXdLE

Easy Weeknight Meal

I've been eating less red meat lately, but had a whole bunch of italian sausage in my freezer. I wanted to make a quick, easy meal that would help me use up some sausage. This recipe is really nothing fancy that will blow anyone away, but it's yummy and it's easy. This one is perfect for when you're short on time and/or ingredients, too! Our friend, Dan, was in The Pink Kitchen for dinner and he seemed to enjoy this recipe! I can't wait to hear what his friends think of him being featured on The Pink Kitchen blog!!! :)

Lasagna Toss


Ingredients:


1 lb. uncooked rotini pasta

• 1 lb. ground italian sausage
• 
  
• 1 (26 ounce) jar Marinara sauce (or your favorite sauce)
• 
  
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 
  
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 
  

Directions:

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a large casserole dish.

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place pasta in the pot, cook as directed and drain.

3. Cook and stir the Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the fat from the meat, pour the cooked pasta and spaghetti sauce into the skillet, and stir well to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil.

4. Pour half of the hot pasta-sausage mixture into the prepared baking dish, spread with the cottage cheese in an even layer, and sprinkle with half the mozzarella cheese. Spread the remaining pasta mixture over the cheese, and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.

5. Cover and bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, until the casserole is hot and the cheese is melted and bubbling. Let it stand 5 minutes to firm up before serving.

Alissa's notes: I used a "coil" of italian sausage for this recipe, so I just squeezed it out of the casing. Also, if you don't like cottage cheese, you can substitute ricotta or just omit this step all together. I only used mozzarella cheese this time.