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 in a Parmesan and Red Pepper Cream Sauce

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!