Since I read so many food blogs and watch so much food TV, I’m constantly finding recipes that I want to make.  But of course, I only get the chance to try a small percentage of them—there are only so many meals in a week! This pasta, cleverly dubbed “Penne a la Betsy,” by Ree of The Pioneer Woman for her sister, has been on my radar for a LONG time.  Somehow I’ve resisted this decadent dish, which contains a CUP of cream in the sauce, for over a year.  It just didn’t seem like something I needed, especially over the summer.

But last Friday, after a week of being sick with what I dramatically called Tuberculosis, I knew I deserved it.  The heavy cream, waiting to be added to the caramel for those Pumpkin cupcakes, was mocking me from the fridge.  I gave in, and I’m so glad I did.

There’s no frills to this pasta.  It’s made up of simple, great ingredients: Garlic, Onions, White Wine, Sauteed Shrimp, Cream, Tomato Sauce, and Basil.  But it all comes together perfectly into one of the most comforting dishes I’ve ever had.  I always felt like my tomato cream sauces were a little off, good but not perfect, and now I know why— they didn’t contain a cup of cream.

Recipe