Quick Pesto Shrimp And Pasta

Since the holiday season is fast approaching, people are going to be busy shopping and going to events. This makes planning daily meals at home a little difficult. The last thing I want to do after a day of shopping for deals is come home and have to spend more time on my feet planning, chopping, and preparing a healthy meal for my family. And with the economy the way it is, eating out is a luxery that not everyone can afford.

I thought I'd share one of my favorite "quick meals". It takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish. Notes are in parenthesis.

Quick Pesto Shrimp And Pasta

Ingredients:

1 lb pre-cooked shrimp

12 oz package penne pasta

18 oz pesto sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

1.  Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook according to package directions.

(I like to cook my pasta to al-dente. I like my pasta a little firm. Also get the penne pasta that has the grooves on the sides, it holds the sauce better.)

2.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-hight heat. Add shrimp, pepper and garlic. Cook until shrimp is heated through. Remove from heat.

(If you want, you can get uncooked shrimp. Just make sure it has been cleaned and deveined. This saves a lot of frustration. Cook the shrimp for about 3 minutes. To save time, you can get the jars of minced garlic. Not as good as fresh, but it's a time saver.)

3.  Save 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain pasta, return to pot. Add pesto, shrimp, and pasta water. Toss to mix. Add salt and pepper to taste.

(You can make your own pesto. Each time I try, it never seems to come out right so I just resort to buying my favorite sauce.)

4.  Serve with grated parmesan cheese and a few squirts of lemon juice on top.

5.  Enjoy.

If you enjoy this recipe, consider donating to my transplant fund at http://cota.donorpages.com/PatientOnlineDonation/COTAforSolanaC/