Parmesan Garlic Noodles with Shrimp

Parmesan Garlic Noodles with Shrimp - made June 27, 2015, recipe adapted from Happily Unprocessed

I recently hit my 1-year anniversary at work and because we’re fed breakfast, lunch and dinner (and yes, I’m pretty much at work the entire time those meals are served so it’s really nice to be able to get good food without having to take the time to plan, grocery shop and actually cook), I’ve very rarely cooked in the past 12 months. I’ve done it a couple of times for church potlucks but in terms of actually feeding myself, those incidences are rare.

And when I do cook, a simple, easy-to-make recipe is critical. Bonus if it tastes good and I don’t give myself food poisoning. Clearly, I have a low bar. I’m happy to say this is one such recipe that meets my criteria. Double bonus that it freezes well so I just made a batch, ate a serving and portioned out the rest for future meals, housed in my freezer for the upcoming weekends.

This was really easy to make and the ingredients were simple to pick up, meaning I knew what they all were and could get them without any difficulty. I think the longest part of the recipe was just peeling the garlic and mincing it so it wasn’t hard at all nor did it take up much time. The sauce wasn’t too cheesy or overpowering with the garlic. Instead, it was a nice “light” flavor. I added some shrimp for a bit of protein and voila, easy dinner. That’s my kind of meal.

3 teaspoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
5-6 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 box angel hair pasta
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup whole milk
1 cup shrimp, cooked
1-2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped fine (I used basil and it worked just fine)

1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the chicken stock
3. Turn the heat up to high and let it come to a boil.
4. Add the pasta and cook according to directions.
5. Take the saucepan off the heat and add the parmesan cheese and stir until completely melted.
6. Add the milk, shrimp and parsley (or basil).
7. Serve immediately