Tonight, is our first rainy night in almost two months so I wanted something warming and tasty. I went Italian pasta style with my shrimp to fit the bill. As the tomato, garlic, herb, cream sauce reduced it went from white to pink and in the end had a nice vodka sauce look to it. This is my favorite kind of pasta sauce as I’ve never been a huge fan of just plain tomato sauce.

Making the creamy sauce ©EverydayCookingAdventures 2013

I realized that there were no vegetables in this recipe so I added some zucchini that I sliced into half moons. I cooked that alongside the shrimp in the pan in step 2. This went very fast and dinner was ready in no time. I absolutely love this recipe! I couldn’t stop raving about it during dinner. I am very happy that there is enough leftover for both our lunches tomorrow. I would make this a regular during the week as it is simple yet reliably tasty. Here’s my penne in herbed cream sauce:

Penne with Shrimp & Herbed Cream Sauce ©EverydayCookingAdventures 2013

Penne with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce Recipe

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis, 2008
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 20 min
Yield: 2 to 3 servings

Ingredients:
1/2 pound penne pasta
1/8 cup olive oil
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled, and deveined
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
1 (8-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup white wine
1/6 cup clam juice
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until the shrimp turn pink and is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp and set aside.

3. Add the tomatoes, 1/4 cup basil, 1/4 cup parsley, and the red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine, clam juice, and heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until the sauce thickens.

4. Add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the cooked shrimp, the cooked pasta, and the remaining herbs. Toss together until all ingredients are coated. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve immediately.