Penne alla Betsy

If you’ve never had Penne alla Betsy, then this is a recipe that you need to try! (By the way, this is a repeat from my blog, and it has been too long since I’ve eaten it…since August 2010!) I made it for dinner tonight because it was quick and easy, and one of my favorites. In addition, last night I had my sister and mom over for dinner and fixed Grilled Tomato Basil Chicken (to be blogged soon) and I had leftover fresh basil, which this recipe calls for.

Penne alla Betsy incorporates some of my favorite ingredients: pasta, shrimp, a creamy tomato sauce, and tons of fresh basil. It is so flavorful, and can be prepared and served up within 20 minute. Note: the recipe calls for raw shrimp, but I used cooked shrimp, and did not saute it in the pan for as long…I simply warmed it up.

The Penne alla Betsy recipe comes from Ree Drummond’s cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl. I really like this cookbook, not just for the recipes, but for the step-by-step picture instructions she shows, and the interesting stories behind each recipe. (Sorry, but I don’t have a really interesting story relating to making Penne alla Betsy. All I can remember is making this recipe for the first time for my husband, Matt. I also remember being shocked with how good this dish was!)

For those of you who have not heard of Pioneer Woman, she is a city girl that married a cowboy, who is referred to as the Marlboro Man, from Oklahoma. The Pioneer Woman has attracted millions of followers to her blog, and she is extremely popular in the cooking world.

Enjoy Penne alla Betsy!

Saute shrimp over medium-high heat in 1 tbsp butter and olive oil for about 2 minutes, or until opaque.

Remove shrimp and saute onion and garlic in remaining 1 tbsp butter and olive oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until onion is translucent.

Add tomato sauce and heavy cream and stir until combined.

Add shrimp to sauce.

Add herbs and cooked, drained pasta. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Serve and garnish with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Penne alla Betsy

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

1 lb. penne pasta
1 lb. large shrimp
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine (I omitted)
1 (14.5 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
Milk for thinning
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
6 basil leaves, cut in chiffonade
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Bring pot of water to a boil. Cook the penne until al dente (firm yet tender). Drain and set aside.
Begin by peeling and deveining shrimp and rising them under cold water.
In a small skillet over medium-heat, add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. 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. Remove to a plate and allow to cool slightly.
In a large skillet over medium heat, add the remaining butter and olive oil. Add the garlic and onion. Stir to combine and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.
If using wine, pour into pan and allow to evaporate, about 45 seconds. Pour in the tomato sauce and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low.
Pour in the cream. Stir well to combine; reduce heat to simmer.
Add the shrimp to the sauce and stir gently to combine. Next add the herbs and cooked, drained pasta. Stir gently to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add a little milk to get it to the right consistency. Add salt and pepper. Serve.

Notes

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Shrimp Cocktail

I’ve never made shrimp in shrimp cocktail before, and it was excellent! The shrimp was well seasoned and had a slight kick to them. I used Heinz Original Cocktail sauce instead of making my own since I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand. This is a super fast, super easy recipe for shrimp cocktail and I strongly recommend it. My husband is on a protein diet right now so shrimp was perfect for him. Shrimp are very high in protein, low in calories, and low in fat. A very healthy, and very tasty meal. I got this recipe from “Simply Recipes.com”. Enjoy!

Mix together shrimp seasonings in a small bowl.

Add seasonings to water and bring to a boil. Add shrimp and cook until water reaches a boil again.

Put shrimp into an ice bath for 2 minutes.

Drain shrimp and serve with cocktail sauce.

Shrimp Cocktail
Ingredients
SHRIMP
2 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning (I used Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning)
1 lemon, halved (I omitted since I didn’t have a lemon)
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
24 extra large tail-on raw shrimp

COCKTAIL SAUCE
1/2 cup Heinz chili sauce
1 cup ketchup
1 tbsp horseradish
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp Tabasco
1/2 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Directions
1. To prepare cocktail sauce, mix all ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Have a large bowl of ice water next to sink.
3. To an 8-quart pot of water, add Old Bay, lemon, granulated garlic, garlic, chili powder, and salt. Bring to a boil.
4. Add shrimp to pot and when water returns to a boil, the shrimp should be done. It will be bright pink.
5. Immediately drain and place shrimp into ice bath to cool for 2 minutes. Drain and serve with cocktail sauce.

Serves: 4 people for appetizers and 2 people for a meal.

Giada’s Shrimp Lasagna Rolls

I love shrimp and I love lasagna, so why not combine them? I have never heard of shrimp lasagna before, but when my mom and I saw it in Giada de Laurentiis’s cookbook, we just had to try them. They were very good, our only complaint was that we should have baked them longer in the oven for the cheese to melt more, but we were pressed for time.

Boil the noodles.

Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and cook on the stove for about 4 minutes.

Make two sauces: the marinara and the ricotta/shrimp sauce mixture.

Lay out a noodle and spoon ricotta/shrimp mixture on it.

Roll up each individual lasagna and place in baking pan layered with marinara sauce and cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. We should have baked ours for about 40 minutes. Enjoy!

Giada’s Shrimp Lasagna Rolls
Ingredients
1 lb lasagna noodles
3 tbps olive oil
1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large clove garlic, chopped
2 (15 oz) container whole-milk ricotta
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
3 cups marinara sauce
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still firm to the bite, about 6-8 minutes. Drain.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and garlic to the pan and saute until shrimp are cooked, about 4 minutes, stirring often.
4. Remove from heat and let cool. Coarsely chop the cooled shrimp and place in a bowl with 1 cup ricotta cheese, the parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir to combine.
5. In another bowl, combine the marinara sauce with the remaining 1 cup ricotta and stir to combine.
6. To make lasagna, cover the bottom of a baking dish with 1/2 cup marinara mixture. Lay 4 noodles flat on a dry work surface. Spread about 1/4 cup shrimp mixture evenly over each noodle. Roll up and place seem-side down in a baking dish. Repeat to make 12 rolls total.
7. Drizzle the rolls with the remaining marinara mixture and top with mozzarella. Bake until the lasagna rolls are heated through and cheese begins to brown, about 25 minutes (we would recommend 40 minutes).