Spicy Creamy Pasta With Shrimp

This recipe is an accidental yet delicious result of many nights of experiments and mistakes. You can adjust the level of spice and the creaminess to your taste. I like it highy spiced and lightly creamy.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 (8 7/8ounce) package  fresh linguine
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 4  garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1  teaspoon  dried chipotle powder
• 1  teaspoon paprika
• 1  teaspoon  cajun seasoning
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1  lb shrimp (medium count, peeled, deveined, rinsed, patted dry)
• 1 1⁄3 cups dry white wine (pick one you like to drink)
• 1⁄2 cup half-and-half
•  salt, to taste
• 1 1⁄2 cups asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1⁄4 cup sun-dried tomato

Directions

1. Mix in a bowl - chipotle powder, paprika, cajun, thyme and rosemary. This will be our spice blend.
2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a skillet.
3. Add the finely chopped garlic and red pepper flakes and stir for a minute.
4. Then add HALF the spice blend and mix well.
5. Now is the time to add a tiny bit of butter for flavor if you want - I rarely do.
6. Add the shrimp and let it cook for 2 minutes before stirring.
7. Toss the shrimp in the mixture for a minute more, then remove into a bowl and keep warm.
8. Into your skillet, add the white wine and the other half of your spice blend. Stir.
9. Cook until the wine comes to a boil then reduces to almost half.
10. In the meantime, cook your pasta according to package directions.
11. Back to your sauce - add the half and half, mix well.
12. Season to taste with salt. Taste and adjust the spice to your taste (add more spice blend to make it spicier or more half n half to make it milder).
13. Remove the sauce from heat before the cream starts to boil.
14. Pour the sauce into cooked, drained pasta, add the shrimp you set aside earlier and toss. Cover, set aside.
15. Put the same skillet back on heat, spray with cooking spray and add the asparagus.
16. Cook for a few minutes until tender crisp.
17. In the meantime, place the sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl and pour boiling water over it.
18. Let it soak for 2 minutes, then drain and squeeze out the water.
19. Add the asparagus and sun-dried tomatoes into the pasta and toss.
20. Serve the pasta topped with grated good quality parmesano-reggiano and some chopped parsley.
21. Pasta will taste better when it is kept covered for a while to allow the pasta to soak the sauce. It will also taste better when served with homemade bread brushed lightly with garlic butter and the rest of that bottle of wine. Enjoy!