Spicy Shrimp and Fettuccine

[jjhunter]

Omnomnom, this is a fabulous dinner party dish. Unlike most fettuccine recipes, it doesn't use any kind of creamy sauce. Somewhat expensive ingredients (i.e. the shrimp), but the savings in prep and execution time really pay off if you're having guests over. My additions to the original instructions from myrecipes.com are marked with brackets.

Spicy Shrimp and Fettuccine

This dish is an appealing, affordable option for entertaining. We used dried basil in this dish to cut costs, but you can substitute 2 tablespoons fresh basil, if desired. Frozen or previously frozen shrimp is often on sale at supermarkets.

Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined [can use half if cost an issue]
2 cups chopped plum tomato (about 5)

2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon tomato paste
[1 tablespoon olive tapenade]
1 teaspoon dried basil [OR 2 tsp fresh basil, minced]
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
[optional] 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add red pepper and garlic to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add shrimp; sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and next 4 ingredients (through salt); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in pasta; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.

Place 1 1/2 cups pasta mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese. Serve immediately.