So Many Dishes

I’ve heard the term “semi-homemade,” and that perfectly describes last evening’s dinner, shrimp vodka pasta. The sauce starts with bottled marinara, and it makes this an easy dish. It takes a little bit longer than opening a commercial vodka pasta sauce, but the results are so much better and fresher-tasting.

I have an excellent marinara recipe that I love, but it’s a project. It also makes a lot, so I end up with several containers of sauce in the freezer. Since I’m trying to limit my carb intake, we’re not eating pasta nearly as often, so having so much sauce taking up freezer space doesn’t make sense. Plus, bottled sauces have improved over the years. I don’t feel badly about opening a jar of Rao’s marinara or tomato-basil sauce. That’s the brand of marinara I used here. With the addition of fresh garlic, fresh basil, cream, and, of course, vodka, it’s a winner. I actually use half and half, both because it’s somewhat less fat, and also because we usually have some in the fridge for coffee.

This recipe is from Cooking Light, with just a few changes. It is definitely one of our favorite shrimp recipes, and made me very happy that I’d decided on a pasta splurge. Even though it’s semi-homemade, I wouldn’t hesitate to serve this to company. A simple salad is the perfect side.

Shrimp Vodka Pasta

• 12 ounces dried spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup vodka
• 1 1/3 cups marinara sauce
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil, divided
• 1/4 cup half-and-half or heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

While the pasta is cooking, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan and swirl to coat. Add shrimp and sauté 4 minutes or until done. Remove shrimp from pan.

Add remaining tablespoon of oil and garlic to pan; sauté 1 minute. Carefully add vodka; cook 1 minute. Add marinara, 1/4 cup of the chopped basil, half-and-half, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Stir in shrimp. Serve shrimp and sauce over pasta, sprinkled with remaining chopped basil. Serves 4.

Happy eating!