Angel Hair Pasta with Spicy Shrimp

This is a great dish I found from Real Simple online, which I peruse all too often for easy, yummy meals. I found this to be so easy and the frozen shrimp makes it ideal to throw together on any night of the week without having to have a lot fresh ingredients on hand. I hate nothing more than buying alot of fresh ingredients that end up going bad by the time I even get to make the meal. You don't have to worry about that with this dish, but it still tastes very light and fresh. The fresh basil is not part of the recipe, but just something I had on hand from my basil plant. This was a great meal fresh, but I have to say the leftovers were even better! The sauce had a chance to soak into the noodles and was wonderful. Also, I am not a spice person by any means so this is definitely not really spicy, but the red pepper flakes add a great kick.

the best way to quickly thaw shrimp...
simply run frozen shrimp under cold water for 10 minutes.

Angel Hair Pasta with Spicy Shrimp from Real Simple Online

Recipe Notes

I used angel hair pasta and it turned out great.  At the end, I also sprinkled some shredded parmesan cheese.  If you have some on hand, I recommend it, but it is not crucial to the dish.

Ingredients

3/4 pound angel hair pasta or spaghetti

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 pound frozen peeled and deveined medium shrimp, thawed

3/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

kosher salt

2 tablespoons butter
Freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)

 Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

3. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute (do not let it brown).

4. Add the shrimp, wine, red pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

5. Simmer until the shrimp are opaque, 2 to 3 minutes.

6. Stir in the butter until melted.

7. Toss the pasta with the shrimp mixture and top with parmesan if using.

Serves 4.  Great meal for two because leftovers make a great lunch the next day.