We’ve got another possible Valentine’s Day dinner for you. Bonus points for it being easy enough to make on any random weeknight as well. When I was younger and my family would go out to dinner my Mom would repeatedly make the same mistake when placing her order. She would order pasta with shrimp and scallops in a red sauce. When she received her order she would remember that she did not like red sauce with her seafood. I think she did this at least 3-4 times before she finally realized that she should maybe order something else. The idea of pasta with mixed seafood was appealing to her but she never liked the finished dish.
When I first saw this recipe in my Food Network Magazine I was reminded of all the failed seafood pastas my Mom ordered. I still wanted to give it a try though. This sauce is a very light tomato sauce and it works great with the shrimp. Next time I make it I would like to add some scallops. The little bit of cream in the sauce really sets it apart from all those entrees my Mom had in the past This version really worked. One thing I will say is that it didn’t reheat very well. All of the flavors kind of mushed together. It was terrific when it was fresh though.

Here is what you’ll need

Cook the shrimp with olive oil, salt, and pepper

Remove the shrimp and add the garlic and onion. Then add the broth and crushed tomatoes

Add the cooked pasta and the shrimp to the sauce and coat

An easy but impressive Valentine’s Day dinner.

Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 lb tube pasta
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- salt
- pepper
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- fresh basil
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according the the directions on the package; set aside
- While the pasta is cooking sprinkle the shrimp with salt and pepper
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat
- Add the onion and garlic and saute for about 3 minutes
- Add the tomatoes, broth, and red pepper flakes
- Cook for about 20 minutes
- Add the heavy cream, stir, and remove from heat
- Add the pasta in and toss to coat
- Top with fresh basil