Shrimp Penne A La Besty

Back when I turned 22, I received two awesome gifts from my family: Tangled (one of my favorite movies in all it's animated, musical, quirky glory) and The Pioneer Woman Cookbook. I've been a follower of Ree Drummond's blog, and I love her book!

To this point, I haven't actually made anything out of the cookbook. Sure, I spend several day reading through and imagining what some of the dishes would take like, but due to lack of time, the size of the dishes, or an unknown phonemona that sent me back to mac n' cheese, I never tried a recipe.

Until Monday

On Monday, I decided to try a recipe that Ree's sister Betsy makes. (And yes, it has taken me four days to actually get this posted. Fail, I know. It's still yummy as leftovers though!)

And I think it turned out pretty well. It's not too heavy, easy to re-heat, and filling, especially with a side salad and milk!

Shrimp Penne A La Besty

1 lb penne pasta
1 lb large shrimp
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
one 14.5 ox can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream ( I used skim milk to make it a little healthier, and added some flour for thickening)
Milk for thinning
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
6 basil leaves, cut in chiffonade
Salt
Pepper

1. Cook pasta as directed in lightly salted pot of water.
2. Peel and de-vein shrimp and rinse under cold water.
3. In a small skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.

4. When the pan is hot, add the shrimp. Stir and cook on both sides until it is just starting to turn opaque, about 2 minutes.
5. Remove shrimp to a plate and allow to cool slightly.
6. Next, finely chop the onion (and the garlic!)

7. In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
8. Add the garlic and onion. Stir to combine and cook, until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.

9. Here, Ree recommends a sip of the wine, "if you're into that sort of thing"
10. Pour the rest of teh wine into the pan. Stir and allow if to evaporate, about 45 seconds.
11. Pour in the tomato sauce and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low.

12. Pour in the cream and stir well to combine. Reduce heat to simmer.
13. Return to the shrimp and remove the tails. Cut the shrimp into medium sized pieces and add to the sauce, stirring gently to combine.
14. Next, add the herbs and stir.

15. Add in the cooked and drained penne noodles. Stir gently to coat noodles evenly. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
16. Serve and enjoy (with french bread or a salad!)