You know what the best thing about spin class is? No, it’s not those painfully tiny seats you sit on for 45 minutes, it’s the fact that you NEED carbs to power up and give your all in each class. At least, that’s the reason I will be going with when I stuff my face with this Hot Shrimp & Turkey Bacon Pasta in Sweet Basil Tomato Sauce.
I came up with this recipe on a whim and with a desire to use up what I had in my fridge. Honestly, some of the best recipes come from open fridge inspiration.
I hope you enjoy this recipe and, as always, if you decide to make this recipe, I’d love to see how it turns out for you. Tag me @thefoodiecutie_ on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter 🙂
INGREDIENTS
- Penne Pasta, 1 lb, cooked
- Unpeeled Shrimp, deveined, ½ lb
- Salt, 1 tsp
- Pepper, ½ tsp
- Ground Cumin, 1 tsp
- Paprika, 1 tsp
- Cayenne, 1 tsp
- Lemon Juice, ½ tsp
- Rosemary Olive Oil, 2 tsp
- White Onion, 1,diced
- Garlic, 5 cloves, minced
- Sugar, 1 tsp
- Red Chili Flakes, 2 tsp
- Applegate Uncured Turkey Bacon, 4 strips, diced
- Crushed Tomatoes, 28oz can
- The Laughing Cow Creamy Swiss Garlic & Herb Cheese Wedges, 4
- Basil, ¼ cup, chopped
- Parsley, ½ cup chopped + garnish
HOW TO MAKE IT
In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. I like to add in a 1-2 tablespoons of salt to flavor the noodles as the cook. Cook pasta until tender.
While the pasta cooks, clean your shrimp. I like to leave the shell on while it cooks and then remove everything but the tail after cooking. I find this makes the shrimp juicy. Once the shrimp is clean, marinate it with salt, pepper, ground cumin, paprika, cayenne, lemon juice, and rosemary olive oil. (You can use regular olive oil, too.) Mix and set aside.
In a sauce pot or dutch oven on high heat, pour in a little more of that rosemary olive oil (1-2 tbsp). Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium high then drop in your chopped onions. Once the onions become soft, add in the garlic and 1 tsp of sugar. I add in the sugar to lightly caramelize the onions.
Once the onions and garlic lightly brown, add in the red chili flakes and turkey bacon. (If you decide to use regular bacon, cook it separately and drain the fat before adding it in to the sauce.) Cook the turkey bacon until it gets a light crisp on the edges.
Now, add in the marinated shrimp, mix, then cover the pot on medium heat.
Once the shrimp turns pink, add in the can of crushed tomatoes along with the basil and parsley. I like to add in another tbsp of sugar once the sauce begins to boil because I like a sweet and spicy tomato sauce, but you can skip this step.
Once the sauce is boiling, add in the cheese wedges and break down with your mixing spoon.
Finally, fold in the cooked penne into the sauce. Top with fresh parsley and done!
Ades Kitchen says
looks tasty