Shrimp Linguine in Tomato Cream Sauce

I feel so fancy when I get to eat shrimp. Growing up we didn't have shrimp too often, mostly on New Years Eve and maybe a few other holidays here and there. So when I get a chance to get shrimp, I take it and I feel fancy!

Looking through the pantry the other night I had all the ingredients for some tasty pasta, I just didn't have a meat selected. Immediately I jumped on the chance to have shrimp! I ran to the store and started brainstorming ideas on how to create this pasta. I hope you find this recipe as tasty as I did! Enjoy!

• 4 oz Linguine (cooked)
• 1 tsp Olive Oil
• 1 14.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes
• 3/4 cup and 2 Tbsp White Wine (I used Chardonnay)
• 2 Tbsp Garlic (minced)
• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 30-40 Large Shrimp (peeled and uncooked)
• 2 Tbsp Cream Cheese
• 1 cup Spinach (raw)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese (shredded)

Step 1: In a medium sauce pan, heat up 1 tsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Once warm, add the diced tomatoes and 1/4 cup white wine. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes and then add 1 Tbsp garlic and turn off heat. Set aside.

Step 2: In another saucepan, melt 2 Tbsp of butter over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, add in the shrimp and 1 Tbsp of garlic and cook until the shrimp becomes a nice reddish pink color. Set aside.

Step 3: In another saucepan, add 2 Tbsp White Wine and the spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted and then add to the saucepan with the tomato pan. In the same pan you cooked the spinach in, add 2 Tbsp cream cheese and 1/2 cup white wine and bring to a slow simmer. Add in 1/2 cup Parmesan and stir until most of the cheese has been melted. Add this mixture to the same pan that now has both the tomatoes and the spinach. On a plate, dish out one serving of pasta and cover with a nice amount of the tomato mixture. Throw a few shrimp on top, and voila! Enjoy!


Note: Serve with a wedge of lemon, a spoonful of pesto, and some extra Parmesan cheese.

Yield: Serves 2-4.

Chorizo and Cheese Tortellinis

I know I haven't posted anything in a while, but it is because I haven't been able to get into the kitchen and cook anything from scratch. I don't like posting up recipes from box meals even if I do tweak them a lot, unless it is an amazing recipe that I think people would want to try. I like to post up things that are my own ideas and own creations since I find more pride in that for myself.

But hopefully I won't have to wait so long in between posts now as I have a few things coming up that will get me back into the kitchen! Some deviled eggs and Samoa cookie knockoffs will be coming up soon, so stay tuned!

Any who, I decided to make some tortellinis last night. They have always scared me a bit since I never understood how to fold them, however I found a great youtube video that made it so easy to understand (I posted the link in the steps). Combining chorizo and cheese seemed like an amazing idea, and taking that one step further and infusing that into a pasta was just magic! I hope you enjoy these as much as my boyfriend and I did! Enjoy!

• 10 oz Chorizo, cooked
• 2 Tbsp Garlic
• 2 3/4 tsp Paprika
• 1/2 cup and 2 Tbsp Cream Cheese
• 1/4 cup Italian Cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup Cotija (or Parmesan Cheese)
• 1 Tbsp Pesto
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Water
• 1 6 oz can Tomato Paste
• 3 cups Flour
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Salt
• 1 cup Tomato Sauce
• 1 14.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes (drained)

Step 1: First you will want to combine your cooked chorizo with 1 Tbsp garlic, 1/4 tsp Paprika, 1/2 cup cream cheese, 1/4 cup Italian cheese, 1/4 cup cotija cheese, and 1 Tbsp pesto. Mix thoroughly and then set aside.

Step 2: Beat eggs in a bowl. Add oil, 1/2 tsp Garlic Salt, water, 1/2 tsp paprika, and 6 oz can tomato pasta. Once mixed, add 3 cups Flour 1 cup at a time and mix until you have a dough-like substance. Dough will be very sticky, so keep extra flour on hand and use as need be. Knead dough for 5 minutes on a floured surface and then set aside and cover for 20 minutes.

Step 3: After dough has set break into 4 balls. Take the first piece and place on a floured surface, take a rolling pin and roll the dough out as thin as you can (the thinner the better since you will be folding these, and you don't want your tortellinis to be too doughy). Cut the dough into even squares and set the squares aside. Mix in the leftovers into the next ball of dough and continue the rolling and cutting process. You should have anywhere from 48-72 squares.

Step 4: Place a few squares down in front of you and add a small ball of chorizo mixture to the center. Fold the square matching the corners so you have a triangle. The make a fold by rolling the base (the chorizo pocket) upward. Fold both corners in and tuck under the hole. (Here is a video guide to help: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlBFWQH7de4 (not my video, but I used it for reference as it is a great demo)). Do this for all of the squares you have left. If you have any chorizo mixture left, set aside.

Step 5: For the sauce, you will want to combine the tomato sauce, 3 Tbsp cream cheese, 2 tsp paprika, 1 Tbsp garlic, and the 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes in a saucepan. Cook on low heat and stir until cream cheese has been dissolved. Keep at a low simmer while you cook the tortellinis.

Step 6: In a large pasta pot, bring enough water to cover your tortellinis to a boil and then place your tortellinis in to cook. Cook tortellinis for 5-8 minutes (check periodically as homemade raviolis do not take as long as store bought tortellinis to cook). Once finished, place tortellinis on a plate and cover with the pasta sauce. Enjoy!


Yield: Makes 3-4 servings.

Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese, and Basil Raviolis

There is something about homemade pasta that is just 'oh-so-good'. As much as I like store bought (and mostly because of the time it saves me), nothing beats making pasta on your own. One of these days I will own a pasta roller, but until then I will just have to keep using my rolling pin.

This recipe calls for some time, as it took me around 2 hours to make the pasta dough, the filling, and then create the raviolis by hand, and this is my second time making them! So make sure that you have enough time set away to create these delicious raviolis. Also remember that cooking homemade pasta takes no time at all, so once you have your raviolis together, start your Alfredo and cook the raviolis while the Alfredo is cooking. Hope you enjoy these!

• 1 Butternut Squash or 3/4 cup Butternut Squash Puree
• 1 Tbsp Garlic Salt
• 2 Cups Flour (pasta)
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Water
• 1 cup Ricotta
• 5 ounces Goat Cheese
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 Tbsp Basil
• 1/4 cup White Wine
• 2 Tbsp Flour (sauce)

Step 1: If you don't have Butternut Squash puree, take a whole Butternut Squash and cut into 1/4. Place each piece on a greased cookie sheet flesh-side down and bake for 30 minutes. Once done, set aside for 10 minutes until cooled. Scoop out insides and then place in a blender with 1/4 cup water. Blend until creamy (keep adding 1/4 cup water as needed to get the right texture; it should resemble baby food).

Step 2: Beat eggs in a bowl. Add the olive oil, 1/2 tsp Garlic Salt, and 1/4 cup Butternut Squash puree. Once mixed, and 2 cups Flour slowly and continue to mix until you have a dough-like substance. Knead dough for 5 minutes on a floured surface and then set aside and cover for 20 minutes. 

Step 3: While the dough is sitting, mix the Ricotta, 1 Tbsp Basil, 2.5 ounces of the Goat Cheese, and 1/4 tsp Garlic Salt. Set aside.

Step 4: After dough has set, break into 4 balls. Take the first piece and place on a floured surface and take a rolling pin and roll the dough out as thin as you can. Cut the dough into even squares and set the squares aside (you can use a knife or even a pizza cutter; just be careful of your counter-top!). Mix in the leftovers into the next ball of dough and continue the rolling and cutting process. You should have anywhere from 48-72 squares, depending on your thickness and square size.

Step 5: Place squares down, 12 at a time. Place Ricotta mixture into the center of 6 of the squares. Take the other 6 and place them on top of the ricotta squares to make the raviolis. Press the edges together and secure. You can use a fork to press the edges together. Set the completed raviolis aside and continue this process until you have no more squares left.

Step 6: Once you have assembled your raviolis, pull out a nice sized saucepan. Add the heavy cream and turn the heat on the saucepan up to med-high. Add in the 1 Tbsp Basil, 2.5 Goat Cheese (crumble this so it melts faster), 1/2 cup Butternut Squash, 1/4 tsp Garlic Salt, and 1/4 cup White Wine (I used Chardonnay). Once mixture becomes smooth, reduce the heat to low and slowly stir in 2 Tbsp Flour (this amount will make a nice, thick sauce; if you want a thinner sauce try adding only 1 Tbsp Flour). Let simmer and stir frequently.

Step 7: In a large pasta pot, bring enough water to cover your raviolis to a boil and then place your raviolis in to cook. Cook raviolis for 4-8 minutes (check periodically as homemade raviolis do not take as long as store bought raviolis to cook). Once finished, place raviolis on a plate and cover with ricotta sauce. Top with crumbled goat cheese (if you would like). Enjoy!

Yield: 24-36 raviolis, depending on your sizing.