Easy Garlic Butter Shrimp With Pasta Salad

My family loooooooves seafood! Even though we couldn't afford to eat it as often as we would've liked growing up, it was always a treat when we did. Shrimp has always been one of my personal favorites. Its naturally light, buttery flavor, easy handling, and quick cook time ranks it high in my book. 

This summer we experienced record shattering temperatures, especially in the south where I'm located. For these long hot summer days, I wanted something quick, easy, and light to eat. Thus, I decided to pair simple garlic buttered shrimp with classic pasta salad. This is the perfect quick weekday meal.

EASY GARLIC BUTTER SHRIMP WITH PASTA SALAD

Prep Time: 10 mins    Cook Time: 20 mins    Servings: 6

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WHAT YOU WILL NEED

• Large Mixing Bowl
• Medium Pot
• Serving Spoon
• Chef Knife
• Cutting Board
• Large Saute Pan
• Slotted Spoon
• Colander 
  

INGREDIENTS

• 1lb of dry Penne pasta
• 1lb of raw jumbo shrimp
• 4 cups of water
  
• 1 red bell pepper (diced)
• 1 green bell pepper (diced)
• 1/2 large red onion (diced)
• 1 cup of Kalamata olives (chopped)
• 1 large tomato (seeded and chopped)
• 1 English cucumber (seeded and chopped)
• 5 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 2 tbs of white vinegar 
• 2 tbs of butter
• 1 tsp of dried thyme
• 1 tbs of kosher salt (pasta water)
• 2 tbs of olive oil (pasta water)
• 2 tsp of kosher salt (shrimp)
• 1 cup of Zesty Italian dressing
• 1/4 cup of fresh Parmesan cheese (shredded)
  
• 1/4 of chopped fresh parsley (garnish) 
• 1 tsp of black pepper (half for shrimp and half for pasta)
• 1/2 chicken bouillon cube (pasta water)
  
• 1 tsp of honey
  

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Prepare pasta water. Add water, salt, chicken bouillon cube, and oil to the pot and bring to a boil.
2. While waiting for the water to boil, prepare the vegetables and set aside.
3. Once water is rapidly boiling, add pasta and cook for about 10 minutes or until done.
4. Drain pasta and add a little more olive oil to pasta to prevent it from sticking together. Let cool for about 5-7 minutes.
5. Add cooled pasta to mixing bowl. Add vegetables and cheese to pasta and mix together.
6. Add dressing and honey and mix thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste if needed.
7. Cover with foil or saran wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 30 mins.
8. While pasta is cooling, prepare the shrimp. De-shell, de-vain, and rinse with vinegar and water.
9. Pat shrimp dry and season with salt, pepper, and thyme.
10. Place saute pan on medium high heat. Add butter to pan. When butter starts to brown, add shrimp to pan. Allow shrimp to brown on one side before flipping. Then add minced garlic to pan and mix in. Add more butter if necessary. When shrimp takes the shape of the letter "C", it is ready. Remove from pan.
11. Remove pasta from fridge and add about two large spoonfuls to a pasta bowl. Place about 4-5 shrimp on top and garnish with parsley.
12. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories	467
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17.9g	23%
Saturated Fat 4.4g	22%
Cholesterol 224mg	75%
Sodium 2846mg	124%
Total Carbohydrate 54.1g	20%
Dietary Fiber 2.2g	8%
Total Sugars 7.6g
Protein 25.1g
Vitamin D 3mcg	13%
Calcium 189mg	15%
Iron 5mg	26%
Potassium 379mg	8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.
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