Shrimp Pasta with Tomatoes and Summer Squash

I am in love with this unseasonably warm weather. I am not into winter sports and I’m very clumsy which makes icy sidewalks my nemesis all winter.

Sean and I have been taking advantage by taking lots and lots of walks instead of going to the gym which is fantastic this time of year when the gym gets super crowded.

♥ Related: Herb & Feta Phyllo Wrapped Shrimp

Tonight we took the 2 mile loop around the neighborhood with Barley and it was so warm I had to stuff my gloves and hat in my pocket! I wonder if I could bribe Mother Nature with some cupcakes to keep this weather coming.

After our walk, I whipped up this shrimp pasta with basics I had in my pantry, fridge, and freezer. If you know me at all, you know I’m my own worst critic — so you know that this pasta is delicious when I tell you that after three bites I started to get sad knowing my bowl would be empty soon!

If you’re like me, you might forget to pull the shrimp from the freezer until you get home from work; but shrimp is forgiving of that misstep and very easy to thaw. Just remove the amount of shrimp you need from its bag in the freezer, transfer it to a smaller zip top bag and set that in the sink under a light stream of running water while you prep the other ingredients. Your shrimp should be ready to cook when your mise en place is ready.

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Shrimp Pasta with Tomatoes and Summer Squash

Quick and flavor-packed shrimp pasta made with ingredients you probably already have in your fridge and pantry.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Keyword Pasta, Shrimp, Summer Squash, Tomatoes

Servings 2

Ingredients

• ½ lb medium shrimp cleaned and shells removed
• 2 ½ tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 large red bell pepper diced medium
• 2 small summer squash diced medium
• 6 plum tomatoes cored, seeded, and diced
• ½ lb dried spaghetti cooked al dente and drained
• Parmesan cheese to taste
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

• Heat 1 tsp. of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the shrimp with salt and pepper. Once the oil gets hot, saute the shrimp for 2-3 minutes until the shrimp get pink and just cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside in a bowl.
• Add the rest of the olive oil and the butter to the saute pan. Heat over medium-high heat until the butter is almost melted. Add the garlic. Cook for about 2-minutes stirring to make sure that the garlic doesn’t burn. Add the red pepper, summer squash, red pepper flakes, and basil. Cook for 2-4 minutes until the squash and red pepper start to cook through stirring to distribute the heat. Add the tomatoes.
• Cook for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally. The tomatoes will start to break down creating a bit of a sauce and the summer squash will be cooked through. Toss in the spaghetti and stir to combine (I find stirring with tongs helps distribute all of the vegetables into the spaghetti.)
• Serve in large bowls and top with the sauteed shrimp. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to taste.