Pasta with Garlic Shrimp and Broccoli

This is a recipe I devised after not being thrilled with any of the recipes I could find online for some kind of shrimp and vegetable combination in a creamy sauce. I must admit, it turned out beautifully and is SO good. I brought leftovers to work for lunch, and got comments like "what restaurant is that from?" People were very impressed when I answered "my kitchen!"

It has a few steps, and did dirty THREE pans, but it was worth it! (Don't let that scare you - this is an easy recipe, and well worth the dirty dishes.)

Start by bringing a large pot of water to boil. (I wanted more veggies and less pasta, so I only used 6 oz. of pasta. If you like more pasta, or you need to stretch this, feel free to use more.) Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Then add the broccoli florets and cook for an additional 3 minutes.



Drain the pasta and broccoli and set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, start making the cream sauce. This is just a basic white sauce with some added goodness.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, then add the flour.



Cook and stir this until bubbly, then gradually add the milk.



Bring this to a simmer until it is slightly thickened, stirring quite often so it doesn't scald the bottom of your pan. Remove from the heat and add the parsley,



garlic,



worcestershire sauce, salt and parmesan cheese,



and stir well to incorporate all the ingredients.

Next melt some more butter in a large skillet over medium high heat, then add garlic



and red pepper flakes. I used 1/2 tsp. of flakes and it had quite a bit of kick. You may want to use more or less to your taste. Cook the garlic and the red pepper until fragrant, about two minutes, then add the zucchini, and stir fry for about 3 minutes.



Next add the shrimp



and stir fry for an additional 2 minutes, just enough to get the shrimp heated through and coated with the garlic and red pepper. If the pasta is now sticking together a bit, rinse it and the broccoli under hot water, then add it to the shrimp and zucchini,



and then add the cream sauce.



Stir well to coat everything with the sauce. Delicious!

Get more inspiration at Mouthwatering Mondays, Cooking with Chaya, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, and Tasty Tuesday.

Pasta with Garlic Shrimp and Broccoli

6 oz. angel hair pasta
3 cups broccoli florets, in bite sized pieces
3 Tbsp. butter, divided
2 Tbsp. flour
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
2 Tbsp. minced garlic, divided
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
1 medium zucchini, cut in 1/2" slices crosswise, then each slice halved
1/2 pound cooked medium shrimp


Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook for 6 minutes, then add the broccoli florets and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt 2 Tbsp. butter. Add the flour and stir and cook for one minute. Gradually add the milk; bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and add the parsley, 1 Tbsp. minced garlic, salt, Parmesan and Worcestershire sauce. Set aside.

In a large skillet, melt remaining 1 Tbsp. butter over medium high heat. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. minced garlic and red pepper flakes; saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the zucchini and stir fry for about 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook and stir 2 more minutes or until shrimp are heated through and zucchini is tender.

Rinse the pasta and broccoli if necessary, then add to the shrimp and zucchini mixture in the skillet. Pour the cream sauce over and stir well to combine.

Serves 4.