This was pretty tasty! Definitely not health food. But a nice treat. Especially on the first day. (I do think it loses something in the reheating. It's still good. Just not as good.)

Marry Me Shrimp Pasta

Slightly adapted from Delish.com

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. sun-dried tomato oil¹
• 450g shrimp, shelled and deveined
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 450g dry pasta (rigatoni, shells, or penne all work well)
• 4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 c. sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 2 c. chicken stock
• 1 c. heavy (35%) cream or half-and-half (10% MF)
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning²
• 300g spinach
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan
• fresh basil, to serve (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and cook until pink and opaque (3-5 minutes).
3. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving ~1/2 c. of pasta water, and set aside.
5. Reduce pan temperature to medium.
6. Add garlic, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes and cook until paste darkens (1-2 minutes).
7. Add sun-dried tomatoes, broth, cream, and Italian seasoning, deglaze the pan, and bring to a simmer.
8. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly (~5 minutes).
9. Add spinach and cook until wilted (1-2 minutes).
10. Add pasta, shrimp, and reserved pasta water, stir vigorously for a few seconds, and cook until pasta is well-coated and sauce is glossy.
11. Stir in Parmesan.
12. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
13. Sprinkle with fresh basil (if using) and server.

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¹ My tomatoes were not oil-packed, so I didn't have any tomato oil for my sauce. Instead I used a bit of oil from some spicy, oil-packed anchovies. I feel like this was an acceptable substitute. ^Back
2 I didn't have any ready-made Italian seasoning, so I just mixed in a few herbs separately: mostly parsley, oregano, and basil with just a touch of rosemary and thyme. ^Back

This was delicious! It falls a bit short of being a single-pot meal, although you could probably get away with preparing it in a large dutch oven and then baking it there. The entire family declared it to be a favourite, and while it takes a while to prepare it's quite easy to do.

Tuscan Butter Gnocchi

Delish

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 C cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• 4 C kale or spinach, chopped
• 1 C low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 C heavy cream
• ½ C freshly grated parmesan
• 1 tbsp basil
• 3 tbsp parsley
• 1 kg gnocchi
• 1 C shredded mozzarella
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
   
2. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.
3. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, ~1 minute.
4. Add cherry tomatoes, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes begin to burst.
5. Add spinach or kale and cook until starting to wilt.
6. Stir in broth, cream, parmesan, basil, and parsley. Simmer until slightly reduced, ~3-5 minutes.
   
7. Add gnocchi and toss together.
8. Pour into a 9×13" baking pan and top evenly with mozzarella.
9. Bake until cooked through and mozzarella is melty, 30 minutes.
10. Optionally garnish with more herbs and lemon juice.