Today we decided to try another Pioneer Woman recipe for dinner. And by we, I really mean I decided to try! haha I had seen this recipe on both her website and her cookbook. Her pictures just looked so awesome I knew I wanted to try it. Also how can you really go wrong with pasta, shrimp, tomato sauce and cream! This recipe was named after Ree’s sister Betsy and one of their favorites to make when they are together. They call it, Penne a la Betsy. It a shrimp pasta dish with a tomato cream sauce. It was so simple to make and so delicious! As I was eating the dish I was thinking about everything we could add to it. I could see using the sauce with just veggies, I would love broccoli with it, or chicken. I think you could substitute so many different things for the shrimp. The possibilities are endless!
Pioneer Woman’s Penne a la Betsy!
Ingredients
- ¾ pounds Penne Pasta
- 1 pound Shrimp
- 3 Tablespoons Butter
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 whole Onion (small)
- 2 cloves Garlic
- ½ cups White Wine, Or To Taste
- 1 can Tomato Sauce (8 Oz)
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- Fresh Parsley, to taste
- Fresh Basil – To Taste
- Salt To Taste
- Pepper To Taste
Preparation Instructions
Cook the penne pasta until tender-firm, also known as al dente.
Peel, devein and rinse (under cool water) 1 pound of extra large shrimp. Heat about 1 tbsp. butter and olive oil in a skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for a couple minutes until just opaque. Do not overcook them. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Now, put the cooked shrimp on the cutting board and pull off the tails. Chop the shrimp into bite –sized pieces and set aside.
Finely dice one small onion. Mince two cloves of garlic.
In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally. After the garlic and onions have cooked a bit add your white wine. Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. If you would rather not use wine, you can use low-sodium chicken broth instead (about ½ cup).
Now add an 8-ounce can of plain tomato sauce. Stir well until combined. Then add 1 cup of heavy cream. Continue stirring. Turn heat down to low and let simmer.
Now chop your herbs, about a tablespoon of chopped parsley and about the same amount of chopped basil, or if you’re feeling very proper, chiffonaded.
Now add your chopped shrimp back into the tomato cream sauce. Give it a stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Throw in your herbs and stir until combined. Finally add your cooked penne pasta and give it a good stir.
