25. Shrimp with Roasted Red Pepper Cream

From 2003 Southern Living Annual Recipes

I'm pretty sure the last time I used my blender was for frozen strawberry dacquiris in my early 20s, but it sure came in handy for dinner tonight.

This sauce is divine...delectable...drinkable. It would be great with any kind of pasta instead of a tomato-based sauce. I'm definitely trying it again with ravioli or manicotti. I ran that piece of bread around the bowl to get every last bit.

It has a great "bite" to it, a nice heat at the back of your throat, and the cream cheese brings it all together.

The recipe calls for using cooked shrimp, but I just put mine in raw once the sauce had heated through and cooked until opaque.

1 (7-ounce) package vermicelli, cooked

1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup chicken broth

3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper
2 pounds cooked, peeled large shrimp
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (I omitted)

Process red peppers and next 4 ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour mixture into a large skillet.

Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often, until thoroughly heated. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, 2-3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes to thicken. Serve over hot cooked pasta. Sprinkle with basil.

This post is part of Weekend Cooking.