Elegant Shrimp Pasta

For those of you who are grasping at straws for an easy, attractive dinner to fix for that someone special.

Sorry, I don't have a picture yet.

Ingredients:
1 package of spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine (really just up to preference)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 tsp red pepper flakes (can adjust to taste)
1/4 cup dry or semi-dry white wine (do not use sweet*)
About 10 shrimp with tails and all other bits removed sliced in half "hotdog style" (aka, lengthwise)

Directions:


Cook your pasta according to package directions.

In a skillet over medium high heat, put in oil, garlic, pepper flakes, and shrimp.  Sautee, pushing shrimp around with a spoon and flipping occasionally, until the shrimp curl up and turn pink.  Add the white wine and reduce to medium heat.  Let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes, then toss with your drained pasta.

Viola!  Topping and sauce all in one!



*It will make it taste like the shrimp has gone off.  At least it does to me.

Souped-Up Tomato Sauce

You may recall my most recent post, Sasha's Super Simple Tomato Sauce.  This is what I like to do to it when I have more time and some fresh veggies to hand.  It goes great on cheese ravioli (my personal favorite use) or even as a vegetarian soup (hence the lame pun).
Souped-Up Tomato Sauce
One batch of Sasha's Super Simple Tomato Sauce
1 bell pepper, diced
1 zuchinni squash, sliced and quartered
1 yellow squash, sliced and quartered
1 container of mushrooms, sliced
Toss all ingredients in already simmering tomato sauce and let simmer until mushrooms appear slightly shriveled and browned.  Chow down with some delicious crusty bread!  (coming up neeext?)

Super basic tomato sauce

Sometimes I want a little sauce for my pasta, but I really hate the canned stuff.  Also I always forget to buy it.

This recipe is best when tomatoes are at their best (Late June-early September.  This year doesn't count.  It's weird.) and with your own or farmer's market tomatoes.  The stuff you get at the store usually ripens on the shelf and just lacks a certain...tomato-ness.

Great with some ricotta and lemon zest on twirly noodles (the name currently escapes me...)

Sasha's Super Basic Tomato Sauce
6 medium tomatoes, roughly diced or 2 quarts of cherry tomatoes, halved or 12 roma/plum tomatoes diced
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste.  I like more.  LOTS more.)
2 tbsp olive oil

Putting the olive oil in first (so it coats the bottom of a sauce pan), toss everything in all together.  Heat over medium high until the mixture starts to boil, then give it a few good stirs and drop to medium low.  Cook whatever you're having with it, preferably letting it simmer at least 10 minutes to meld the flavors.

That's it!