Spicy Pasta with Shrimp, Tomatoes, and Basil

This is one of Kevin's favorite pasta dishes because of the shrimp, and one of mine because of the fresh basil!

Spicy Pasta with Shrimp, Tomatoes, and Basil
Source: Unknown

1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails removed)
6 teaspoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 can (14.5 oz) diced italian-style tomatoes in juice
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 pound whole wheat spaghetti
1 1/2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorrino Romano

Directions: Season shrimp with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 4 teaspoons oil over high. Add shrimp; cook until opaque throughout, turning occasionally, 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.

Make sauce: To the same skillet, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garlic; cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add red pepper flakes and canned tomatoes (in their juice) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer occasionally, until tomatoes have softened and are saucy, about 15 minutes. Remove sauce from heat; stir in cherry tomatoes and basil.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Drain; reserving 1/2-1 cup cooking water. Transfer pasta to serving bowl. Add reserved cooking water, tomato sauce, shrimp, basil and parmesan cheese, and toss. Serve immediately.

I printed this recipe out ages ago, probably from a Weight Watchers message board, but I am not really sure where it came from. I usually make a half recipe of this without the cherry tomatoes for the 2 of us. One other thing I do is crush the tomatoes with the back of a slotted spoon after I dump the can in, because Kevin doesn't like chunks of tomatoes and they cook down a little better this way.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

I made this with the honey yeast rolls for my family on the night before Thanksgiving. It was so delicious! I couldn't find any of the blackening spice that the recipe calls for, so I ended up making my own version based on a recipe I found from Emeril.

Cajun Chicken Pasta
Source: The Cynical Chef, originally from Food Network

4 (5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup blackening spice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup roughly chopped marinated sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup white wine
3 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound cooked fettuccine
1/2 cup sliced scallions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Dredge the chicken breasts in the blackening spice and place in a cast iron skillet over very high heat. Blacken both sides of the chicken and place in the oven for 10 minutes, or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Slice in strips on the bias and set aside.

In a saute pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Add garlic and lightly caramelize. Then add the sun-dried tomatoes and the chicken slices. Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Add the heavy cream, increase the heat to a simmer, and reduce the cream sauce by half.

When the cream sauce is to desired consistency, stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan, salt, pepper, and pasta.

Nest the pasta on large rimmed plates, pour sauce over pasta, and garnish with scallions and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Emeril's Essence
Source: Food Network

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
  
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

My dad, who is a spicy food fanatic, loved this! It was pretty much the perfect seasoning, it had a great kick but didn't burn your mouth off. The leftovers were pretty good the next day, too.