Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta

I love garlic, I love shrimp and I love pasta! This was perfect. I've never cooked with sundried tomatoes before, and I usually stay away from creamy sauce but this wasn't so bad. It wasn't heavy either, which was great too! Add a garlic toast and you have the perfect lunch (or dinner).

Ingredients:

12 oz Vegetable Farfalle Pasta

1 pound Shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tsp Onion Powder

3 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/4 tsp Salt and Black Pepper

4 oz chopped Sun-Dried Tomatoes, drained from oil – keep 2 tablespoons oil reserved

1 cup Half-and-Half

1/4 cup Chicken Broth

1 cup shredded Mozzarella

1 tbsp Italian Seasoning

1 tsp crushed Fennel Seeds

1/2 tsp Red Chili Pepper Flakes

1/8 tsp Paprika

1/2 cup reserved cooked Pasta Water

Parmesan and Fresh Parsley for garnish

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve some cooked pasta water, drain the pasta, and set aside.

2. Heat up the reserved oil from the sundried tomatoes in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp sprinkle with salt and better and cook on each side for about 1 minute each, remove the shrimp to a plate.

3. In the same skillet, add sun-dried tomatoes and minced garlic. Saute on medium heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the broth and half and half to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Add shredded mozzarella and continue cooking the sauce on low simmer heat, constantly stirring, until all the cheese melts. If the sauce is too thick, add a small amount of the reserved cooked pasta water.

4. Add the onion powder, Italian seasoning, crushed fennel seeds, crushed red pepper flakes, paprika and stir well.

5. Add cooked pasta to the sauce, and reheat gently on medium heat. Stir in the cooked shrimp. If the sauce gets too thick, add a small amount of reserved cooked pasta water. Let everything simmer on low for a couple of minutes for flavors to combine. Garnish with grated parmesan, fresh parsley and more red pepper flakes and enjoy!