Creamy Shrimp Alfredo with Fire Roasted Red Peppers

We like to balance out our lighter side menus with this kind of weekend indulgence.  This shrimp dish comes together quickly and is perfect for entertaining! Doing a little bit of the prep work ahead of time limits the amount of time you need to spend in front of the stove. I used jarred Alfredo sauce but you could easily whip up your own and use that if you prefer! 

Prep Ahead Plan:  Chop the onion, garlic and roasted red pepper ahead of time and store in a small container or Ziploc bag.  I like to buy the EZ peel raw, deveined shrimp.  Do the peeling ahead of time and store the raw shrimp in the fridge (in an air tight container) until ready to use. 

Creamy Shrimp Alfredo with Fire Roasted Red Peppers

Ingredients

12 ounces penne pasta

1/3 cup butter

1 ½  tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 fire roasted red peppers from a jar, diced

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 (15 ounce) jar Alfredo sauce

1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

1/2 cup light cream

a couple dashes of crushed red pepper (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter together with the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic. Cook until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the roasted red pepper and continue to cook a few minutes more.

3. Stir in the shrimp, tossing around in the pot so it cooks evenly. Cook until firm and pink.

4.  Add in the Alfredo sauce, Romano cheese, and cream. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened (just a few minutes). Season with crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir drained pasta into the sauce, and serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.