Oscar Menu

The actors going to The 81st Annual Academy Awards will dine on lobster and caviar, but we will not. However, tonight's menu is one of our favorite meals and often a quick and easy pantry meal for us. Our grocery store has 2lb. bags of frozen shrimp on sale all the time so we always have shrimp in the freezer. I thought I'd share the recipe from Everyday Food.

Shrimp, Tomato, and Basil Pasta.

Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails removed)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
6 teaspoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
½ pound linguine
1 ½ cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces, plus extra leaves for garnish (optional)

1. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 4 teaspoons oil over high. Add shrimp; cook until opaque throughout, turning occasionally, 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.

2. Make sauce: To the same skillet, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garlic; cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add canned tomatoes and their juice, along with 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have softened and are saucy, about 15 minutes. Remove sauce from heat; stir in cherry tomatoes.

3. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain; return pasta to pot. Add tomato sauce, shrimp, and basil; season with salt and pepper, and toss. Serve immediately, garnished with basil leaves, if desired.

Per serving: 483 calories; 10.8 grams fat; 44 grams protein; 52.2 grams carbohydrates; 2.9 grams fiber

NOTE: I almost always double the recipe so we can have it two nights. I make 2 lb. of shrimp and season with garlic salt and pepper instead of regular salt. I also don't add the cherry tomatoes anymore. They're good, but it makes it extra chunky. It does stretch the recipe if you add them though. For a second meal, you can store the leftovers and then add a little water as needed and simmer for leftovers. I don't always add the basil either. Sometimes, I'll put a dash of dried basil or oregano for some extra taste. It's definitely something with which you can experiment.