Taking a Pause with a Shrimp Alfredo Pasta Bake

Not sure about you, but I feel like this fall has been absolutely insane. How is it already mid October? Between work and my personal life, I’ve barely had time to catch my breath.

Amidst the madness, it’s good to hit the pause button and recharge your batteries (if you can). This past weekend I did just that. I planned a staycation with one of my best friends who is about to have her first baby. We put it on the books a long time ago and decided this was going to be our weekend to relax, spend quality time together before her babe comes into the world, and regroup. I’m so happy that we did.

When I was deciding what to cook for our night in, I wanted to find something hearty and flavorful. I wasn’t concerned about being too healthy, to be honest. Weekends are for a little indulgence. I skimmed through my Pinterest Food Board and found this, a Shrimp Alfredo Pasta Bake that looked absolutely divine. I wanted something simple too, as I preferred to spend the night chatting and not slaving away in the kitchen. We made this dish in 30 minutes flat, it was super easy. Packed with so much flavor you won’t want it to end, because really what’s better than melted cheese on top of a cheesy sauce? Um, nothing. This is definitely a dish worth pausing for.

One thing to note: The creator of this recipe, DamnDelicious, calls for the “skinny” options of a lot of the ingredients in order to cut back the calories. We didn’t opt for these alternatives, it’s completely up to you what you do! I also kind of reconfigured the directions to make it a little easier to follow.

Enjoy!

DamnDelicious Shrimp Alfredo Pasta Bake

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 8 ounces penne pasta (whole wheat optional)
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (reduced fat optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

FOR THE ALFREDO SAUCE

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 (6-ounce) can 2% evaporated milk
• 1 ounce cream cheese (light version optional)
• 1/4 cup chicken broth, or more, to taste
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Bring a lot pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, cook pasta until al dente and then drain.
3. While the pasta’s cooking, make the alfredo sauce. To do this, melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
4. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in cream cheese and chicken broth until smooth, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add more chicken broth as needed until desired consistency is reached, keep stirring while you complete the rest of the preparations.
5. Lightly oil a baking dish or coat with nonstick spray. Place shrimp into it. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper, to taste, and gently toss to combine. Place into oven and roast just until pink, firm and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from oven and put into a large bowl.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Re-coat the baking dish you cooked with shrimp in with nonstick spray.
7. Into the large bowl you put the roasted shrimp in, add the pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, red pepper flakes and alfredo sauce. Mix thoroughly.
8. Put the mixture into the baking dish and top with Parmesan cheese and more mozzarella.
9. Place into oven and bake until golden brown and cheese has melted, about 10 minutes.
10. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.