Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp and Tomato

I often find myself thinking about dinner on my way home from work, and by thinking, I mean scrambling to think of what to cook. Tonight, was no exception. I had to pick up a few things at the grocery store so I decided to let my inspiration come while shopping.

Low and behold, I didn't even make it to the grocery store before realizing what I had to make. Shrimp pasta! I opted for  frozen shrimp so I could create other dishes in the future, but also because it was on sale. 

Who needs a serving dish when you have a perfectly good satuee pan to work with!

 
Recipe:
1 lb frozen shrimp, thawed, deveined and tails removed
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp of butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb angel hair pasta
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
salt and pepper to taste
2 scallions, thinly sliced for garnish

Directions:
1) Cook pasta according to package. Strain, and set aside.
2) Heat 2 tbsp of oil and butter in a sautee pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add shrimp and cook until 2-3 minutes per side. Push shrimp to the side of the pan, removing that corner of the pan from heat.
3) Add the tomatoes and paste to pan and cook until tomatoes begin to soften. Be sure to stir paste in with oil, creating a smooth oil sauce. Add remaining tablespoon of oil and continue stirring. 
4) Pull shrimp from side of pan and begin mixing with tomato/oil sauce. Add noodles and toss with salt and pepper to taste. Top with scallions to serve.

This recipe was an experiment-in-the-making for me, but it came together very nicely. It only took about 15 minutes to prepare but looked like much more effort than that. While it began as adding a little of this and a little of that, I absolutely loved it and am sure this will be a new go-to in my house.