Pinterest Cooking: Italian Cream Cheese Sauce with Penne and Garlic Shrimp

Here is yet another recipe I (and my family) was eager to try.  And I know what some of you non shell-fish eaters are thinking. "This recipe isn't for me, we hate shrimp". Hear me out...you could have made this with chicken or pork and it would have tasted just as good...to you.  We LOVE seafood in my house.  So we had shrimp!

Here's the bad news.  The link the recipe no longer works. So I had to improvise.  

7 oz of penne 8 oz cream cheese 1 can chicken broth 1 cup cheddar cheese 1/2 packet Italian seasoning 350 degrees While pasta is cooking heat cream cheese, Italian seasoning and chicken broth on stove until cream cheese melts.Place cooked pasta in an 8x8 baking dish and pour cream cheese mixture over top. 20-25 minutes

Oops forgot to show the Italian Dressing Mix

Boil your pasta. Penne, Rotini, whatever you have. The recipe says 7oz which is about 1 lb. which is what comes in most pasta packages.

Once your water is boiling make sure to add lots of salt. Remember this is the only way to really flavor your pasta. And Kosher salt works the best. 

Then you can work on your sauce mix. Stir well.

I added a little bit of garlic. That little gadget is a micro plane. I love it!

It worked well to mix with a whisk.

Then I added a little more Monterey Jack cheese...it's SO good!

Ok, while the sauce was working and the noodles were boiling, I worked on the shrimp.  I used some cooked, frozen, tail on (it's much cheaper-of course get the fresh stuff if you can)

I just microwaved it in a bowl with some butter and cloves of garlic ( I did about 3).

Once the shrimp was thawed and tasting good. I removed the tails...Yes, Shalynn that it the popcorn bowl you gave me with Christmas. It comes in handy. :-)

Here it is out of the oven! Make sure when you dumb the sauce all over you do get it ALL over the noodles. Doesn't that look delicious?!

Once it came out, I added just a little more Monterey Jack Cheese.

Here's the final plate. I just served it with some frozen spinach.

It must've been delicious because this is what our plates looked like after about 5 minutes...we were hungry and it was delicious!

The boys had thirds and even fourths! And we have leftover pasta. (Shon was at work when it was done).

The verdict, as if it wasn't obvious.  4/4 stars! And I wouldn't change a thing! It was so creamy and filling and delicious.  So much that here are my reclined feet when I was done.  

Hope you all enjoy it and as always, happy cooking!