I have a love affair with food. When I was little I used to tell my parents that I thought heaven was a place where you got your favorite meals all the time and never felt too full. Fortunately I was also blessed with a love for cooking, and a little bit of talent in the kitchen. If I had all the time in the world I would cook a world-class meal every night. I’m getting a little hungry just typing this….
Unfortunately, I don’t have all the time in the world, and it’s a rare occasion that I get to cook a world-class meal (at least during the week). Instead, I’ve collected some really quick, healthy, and yummy go-to meals that are quick to make on weeknights (and make leftovers, which is even better). Here is one of my favorites:
Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta
1 16-oz box of your favorite dried pasta (I like angel hair)
¼ cup butter, divided
1.5 lbs fresh or frozen shrimp (if you’re not a seafood fan, chunks of chicken work well too)
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup all purpose flour
2 Tbs Cajun seasoning (Creole works well, too…and remember to add salt to taste if you’re using salt-free seasoning here)
4 cups milk
Salt to taste
Directions
Prepare pasta until al dente. Drain. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large sauce pan, whisk together 2 Tbs butter, milk, flour, and Cajun seasoning. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thickened (about 7 minutes). If using frozen, cooked, chicken or shrimp, add it to the sauce now, and simmer until meat is heated through. If using fresh, see step 3.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. If using fresh shrimp (or uncooked chicken), add to butter and sauté for 1 minute on each side. (If using frozen, cooked, chicken or shrimp, see step 2) Add garlic and onions and sauté until golden. Remove from heat. Combine with sauce from step 2, above.
Serve over cooked pasta. Enjoy!
The whole thing takes about 30 minutes and it’s really good. If you use reduced-fat milk as well, it makes for a healthy meal that’s also tasty.
