Rustic Penne Shrimp Pasta

​One of the advantages of being a food blogger is that my camera is never far away.  (Even when I'm in my car.)  Mia and I were heading to the park for a morning walk when we passed these adorable bulls at the end of our street.  (Yes, I just called a couple of half ton bulls, adorable.)  But seriously - they were licking each others faces - what is cuter than animals kissing each other?  I just couldn't help but pull over and snap a couple of pictures of these amazing animals.  

​I love that these animals live at the end of our road.  Even after 8 years, it's still hard for me to drive by without stopping to watch them for a while.

That bull is totally sticking his tongue out at me!

OK, that's enough bull for one day.  (I crack myself up.)  Onto the recipe of the day - Rustic Penne Shrimp Pasta in a Parmesan and Red Pepper Cream Sauce from jennystephens.blogspot.com.  This is a super easy, make ahead meal that your family will LOVE.  I was so confident in this recipe that I served it to my in-laws last month.  

Rustic Penne and Shrimp Pasta 
1 pound of penne pasta
2 tablespoons of sea salt
1/4 pound of pancetta, thickly sliced & diced into cubes
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 pound of shrimp, peeled
6 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of rosemary
1/4 cup of roasted red peppers, sliced
1/4 cup of white wine
2 cups of cream
1 cup of parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon of cracked pepper
parmesan cheese
fresh thyme or rosemary

Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Add salt and pasta and cook 2 minutes less than the directions indicate.

Add pancetta to a skillet and cook until browned.

​​Add oil and shrimp and cook until barely pink.

​Add garlic and cook until thoroughly cooked.

​Add cream, red peppers and rosemary and cook 5-6 minutes until slightly thickened.

Stir in Parmesan cheese and pasta.

Spoon into a casserole dish.

Top with more cheese, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Remove plastic wrap and bake, uncovered for 30 minutes at 400.

Serve. 

Ciao!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe