Things I Love

I am sorry about the absence of a post yesterday. On Tuesday night I had the idea of hosting my first dinner party at my new house. Seeing as that it was my first I wanted everything to be perfect. To prepare I spent all day Wednesday working on the menu, grocery shopping, and cooking. I had at least one, very picky eater on my hands, so it was a struggle to find a main course that would please all but I am so thrilled to announce that the first ever dinner party was a success (well according to my friends, but who knows what they are saying behind my back). 

Menu:

White Sangria

Shrimp Pasta in Foil Package

Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake (to be featured later!)

After buying the Pioneer Woman's cookbook Tuesday night I was completely inspired to cook one of her dishes. She was one of the first blogs I ever followed and I love her story. I chose this dish because it was easy, sounded completely delicious, and perfect for summer. Let's just say, every one of my girl friends went back for seconds!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 3 whole 14.5 Ounce Cans Diced (or Whole) Tomatoes
• 1/2 cup White Wine
• 2 pounds Jumbo Or Large Shrimp, Peeled And Deveined
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Fresh Parsley, Minced
• 1 pound Linguine, Uncooked
• Red Pepper Flakes, to taste

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta for 1/2 the recommended cooking time. Pasta should still be very firm.

In a large skillet or pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for a minute. Dump in the tomatoes and wine. Stir the mixture together, season with salt and pepper, and allow to cook for ten minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare a large parcel of heavy duty aluminum foil. It should be large enough to hold the entire pasta dish.

Throw the shrimp on the top of the pasta sauce. Throw the drained pasta over the top, then pour the whole dish onto the foil. Tightly wrap the foil into a parcel.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and keep warm until serving.

Open the foil parcel right before serving. Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil over the top. Squeeze on lemon juice, if desired.

If you are planning a girl's night or any occasion that requires cooking for people that enjoy great food I would highly suggest serving this pasta with a simple salad and a loaf of delicious toasted bread. The only snag on the night was the strange disappearance of my parsley. We had to do without this time, but I think a little green would have made the pasta even better.

Until next time.

I love dinner parties.