Spicy Parmesan Shrimp Pasta

I made this delicious pasta for our romantic Valentine's Day dinner. It is VERY flavorful, and you can adjust the level spiciness to your liking. It's from Damn Delicious and I'll be making it pretty much anytime shrimp is on sale! It's so simple... the longest parts are marinating the shrimp (which I did overnight) and cooking the pasta. Actually cooking up the dish took about 10 minutes in my cast iron skillet. I used fresh shrimp that had already been de-veined and my (very understanding) husband kindly volunteered for the job of shelling them. Although it took him only a few minutes, so next time, maybe I'll be brave enough to take on that gross job :) Serve with a salad and a glass of red wine (or Trader Joe's sparkling grape juice for this preggo)!

Spicy Parmesan Shrimp Pasta

about 4 servings

1/3 C olive oil

1/4 C Parmesan cheese

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (we used more because we like it spicy)

1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined

8 oz penne pasta

salt and pepper, to taste

1 green onion, thinly sliced

1. In medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, cheese, garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes.

2. In a gallon ziploc bag, combine shrimp and olive oil mixture. Marinate for at least 30 minutes (we did it overnight and the flavor was AMAZING), turning the bag occasionally.

3. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta al dente and drain well.

4. Heat a large skillet (cast iron is what I used) over medium heat. Add shrimp and sauce mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp is pink (it takes less than 5 minutes).

5. Stir in pasta and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Serve immediately (I served it directly in the cast iron skillet), garnished with Parmesan and green onions.

Enjoy!!!