Creamy Pesto Shrimp Pasta

I was taking dinner to a friend and I wanted a one dish meal so they could just pop it in the oven, heat and eat. The problem was that I wanted something special and casseroles don't usually fall into that category. So I decided I'd start with shrimp. Then I added pasta because who doesn't love pasta? For some color I thought pesto and peas would work well and add the veg. I was onto something... Pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 & 1/2 and Parmesan were all I needed to gussy it up. They loved it! Here's what you'll need:

  • 1 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined
  • 1 box linguini
  • 2 C frozen peas
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 C basil pesto
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 1 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 C 1/2 & 1/2
  • 1/2 C pine nuts, toasted
  • red pepper flakes
  • olive oil

Begin by cooking the pasta according to the directions, making sure to season the water with plenty of salt. While it's cooking, you can cook everything else, just make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn't overcook. I set a timer just to be sure.

In a saucepan, add a little olive oil and the minced garlic and begin to sauté. 

After about a minute, add the shrimp and season with salt and pepper. 

When the shrimp just begins to turn pink, add the pesto. I used the frozen basil pesto cubes I made this summer.

Add the red pepper flakes to taste.

Pour in the 1/2 & 1/2 and stir to combine.

Add the peas to your serving dish. There is no need to worry about cooking them.

Your pasta should be ready now, so drain it and add it to the peas. Save some of the pasta water in case you need to thin the sauce later.

Toss to combine.

Pour the shrimp mixture over the pasta.

Add the pine nuts, lemon zest and lemon juice.

Top with the Parmesan.

Toss it all together.

Cover with foil and deliver (or eat!). If it needs to be reheated, put it in a 350 degree oven until warmed through.

Enjoy!

Lynn

Chicken Parmesan

Oooh La La, right? Not really. This is a super simple recipe that uses store bought bread crumbs and sauce. I've made it all from scratch before, only to discover that it's just as good with the store bought ingredients, so why bother, I say. It's one of those assembly type recipes. Don't tell anyone though because they'll never guess by the taste. This is great for company too. It can be made ahead and heated and served so that you can spend time with your guests instead of in the kitchen. Here's what you'll need:

  • boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 for every 2 people)
  • 1 jar good spaghetti/marinara sauce (I use Bartolli)
  • italian style bread crumbs
  • 2 eggs
  • mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • parmesan cheese, shredded
  • olive oil and butter

 

You can see by the picture that I made this even simpler by buying my chicken breasts already sliced. If you have whole chicken breasts, slice them first.

Heat a 50/50 mixture of olive oil and butter in a skillet. I like to use my electric skillet for this.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Mix the eggs in a shallow bowl.

Add the bread crumbs to another shallow bowl.

Spread a little of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish.

To make this easy, set up an assembly line like this:

Take one piece and dip it in the egg dish. Allow the excess egg to drip off, then dredge the chicken in the seasoned bread crumbs. Shake off the excess crumbs.

Add the dredged chicken to the hot skillet and fry until brown, then turn and fry the other side until it's brown. The chicken doesn't have to be fully cooked yet.

Place the chicken in the casserole with the sauce and top with parmesan and then mozzarella and more sauce. Repeat this process with the remaining chicken.

Bake at 350 degrees about 30-30 minutes until the cheeses are melted and the sauce is hot and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Lynn

                Chicken Parmesan

  • boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 for every 2 people)
  • 1 jar good spaghetti/marinara sauce (I use Bartolli)
  • italian style bread crumbs
  • 2 eggs
  • mozarella cheese, shredded
  • parmesan cheese, shredded
  • olive oil

Cut each chicken breast in half, horizontally, so that you end up with 2 very thin pieces. 

Mix the eggs in a shallow bowl.

Add the bread crumbs to another shallow bowl.

Spread a little of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish.

Season all the chicken with salt and pepper. Take one piece and dip it in the egg dish. Allow the excess egg to drip off, then dredge the chicken in the seasoned bread crumbs. Shake off the excess crumbs then fry the dredged chicken a skillet in the olive oil, until browned on both sides. The chicken doesn’t have to be cooked through at this time.

Place the chicken in the casserole with the sauce and top with parmesan and then mozzarella and more sauce. Repeat this process with the remaining chicken.

Bake at 350 degrees about 30-30 minutes until the cheeses are melted and the sauce is hot and bubbly.

 

Wild Rice and Shrimp Casserole

I've taken on the huge project of going through my family's recipes to make a family cookbook. It's been a bit overwhelming, but in a really good way. I'm focused on hand-written recipes that I remember having at different times of my life. It's amazing to recognize family members by their handwriting. Each is so unique, not only in the way they look, but also in the way they wrote their recipe. I've got recipes on the back of milk delivery bills, envelopes, written in the middle of letters, on the back of used envelopes, on actual recipe cards, you name it, I've probably seen it. It's made me wonder how long recognizing someone's handwriting will even be possible. If you think about it, everything is electronic these days. How often do you hand write anything?  Anyway, I digress... I'm not sure who originally served this recipe because I have hand written versions from my aunt as well as my grandmother. It doesn't really matter who came up with it, just that one of them did, because it's a winner. It's super simple to make and good enough to serve for company. Here's what you'll need:

  • 1 box Uncle Ben’s Wild and Long Grain Rice, cooked according to directions
  • 2 C shrimp, shelled and cut in half (or bite-sized pieces)
  • 1 can chicken and rice soup
  • 1 soup can 1/2 & 1/2 (or milk)
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 ribs celery, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/3 C flour
  • 1 small jar pimentos, drained
  • cayenne pepper
  • cajun seasoning
  • salt & pepper

Cook the rice according to package.

In a large skillet, melt the stick of butter. Sauté the onion, garlic, and celery in the melted butter until the vegetables begin to soften.

Sprinkle the cajun seasoning on the shrimp, then add the shrimp to the vegetable mixture and cook until slightly under done.

Add the pimentos, cayenne, salt and pepper.

Then add the flour and mix well, cooking for a minute or two to get rid of the raw flour flavor.

Now add the soup, milk, and cooked wild rice. Stir well to combine. Adjust seasonings as desired.

Pour the mixture into a greased casserole and bake at 425 degrees for about 20-30 minutes until hot an bubbly.

Enjoy!

Lynn

            Wild Rice and Shrimp

  • 1 box Uncle Ben’s Wild and Long Grain Rice, cooked according to directions
  • 2 C shrimp, shelled and cut in half (or bite-sized pieces)
  • 1 can chicken and rice soup
  • 1 soup can 1/2 & 1/2 (or milk)
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 ribs celery, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/3 C flour
  • 1 small jar pimentos, drained
  • cayenne pepper
  • cajun seasoning
  • salt & pepper

In a large skillet, melt the stick of butter. Sauté the onion, garlic, and celery in the melted butter until the vegetables begin to soften. Sprinkle the cajun seasoning on the shrimp, then add the shrimp to the vegetable mixture and cook until slightly under done. Add the pimentos, cayenne, salt and pepper. Then add the flour and mix well, cooking for a minute or two to get rid of the raw flour flavor. Now add the soup, milk, and cooked wild rice. Stir well to combine. Adjust seasonings as desired. Pour the mixture into a greased casserole and bake at 425 degrees for about 20-30 minutes until hot an bubbly.