All for MEEE!!

The hubby is out of town today and won't be home until late tonight so that means I get to make something all for myself for dinner. I'm lucky that Adam is not that much of a picky eater- usually anything I make he eats without too much complaint. There's only a few things that he's not that fond of- sausage, pork products (other than bacon), bell peppers, eggplant, baked pasta dishes, and sweet potatoes off the top of my head. So, I am going to take this opportunity to make something for myself without trying to please the hubs as well.

I think tonight I will make baked pasta with mild Italian sausage and sauteed sweet peppers. Check. Check. Check.

This dish is easy enough- just boil whatever pasta you desire (I think I'm going to use whole wheat penne), brown up the sausage and add to your pasta, mix in your desired sauce (I'm using the leftover sauce from when I made stomboli last week). Transfer into an oven proof dish, top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Just bake in a 400 degree oven until cheese is melted and slightly browned. As for the peppers, just heat some butter or oil in a saute pan, add your peppers, some salt and pepper and saute until they are soft and sweet. Voila! The perfect "My husband is out of town and I'm going to eat what I want" meal!

I hope you all are having a fantastic Wednesday- HUMP day! Whoo!

Shrimp "Fra Diavolo"

I originally planned to make something else tonight but when I woke up this morning, the pasta monkey was on my back. I get tired of the same old pasta recipes so I am always looking to change them up or find new ones to try. This recipe was inspired by a trip to Carabbas Italian Grill with my family the week before Christmas. I had this amazing seafood pasta in a spicy marinara sauce. You can find jars of spicy pasta sauce in the grocery store or you could make your own. I am going the "semi-homemade" route and using a store bought sauce and adding a few ingredients to make it taste a little bit more homemade. I am also using frozen raw shrimp that I've thawed in this recipe but you could use scallops, mussles, clams or a combination of different types of shellfish. If you use shrimp just make sure you don't get the pre-cooked ones. They will dry out too quickly and be chewy.

Shrimp "Fra Diavolo"

Spaghetti or Linguine (how much depends on how many people you have)
1 T olive oil
1 Bag Frozen Raw Shrimp- thawed, shelled and de-veined
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Jar Spicy Marinara Sauce
2 Garlic Cloves diced
Red Pepper Flakes to taste
8 Basil leaves chopped
Chopped Parsley leaves for garnish
Parmesan Cheese

Boil and salt water for pasta. Boil pasta according to package directions. In a large saute pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for about 1 minute until fragrant- don't let the garlic brown. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp to pan and cook 1-2 minutes per side until pink and slightly curled in. Add the jar of marinara sauce, red pepper flakes and basil leaves. Heat through. Drain pasta when done and add pasta into pan and coat with sauce. Garnish with parsley and Parmesan. Serve with a salad and garlic biscuits- recipe to follow.

Eastzy Garlic Biscuits

1 Can Pillsbury biscuits
1 T melted butter
1 tsp garlic powder

Add garlic powder to melted butter. Brush butter/garlic mixture onto biscuits and bake according to package directions.

I hope you all enjoy this yummy pasta recipe!