Garlic Butter Pomodoro with Shrimp

First recipe post in the new place!!! That's always a major accomplishment in my book, it's quite the process - trying to find the place with the most ideal lighting, tracking down all of your randomized plates, backdrops, and perfectly antiqued silverware from among the plethora of boxes you just stuffed in the closet (the wayyyy back of the closet) - it's quite the task.

While I still don't have a well lit kitchen, I am able to photograph on our porch without suspicious characters staring at me. I really like this recipe from Pinch of Yum, it's super easy and makes your house smell like a countryside Italian villa (or what I would imagine a country side Italian villa smells like anyway). It's a great meal to whip up and enjoy along side a glass of red wine. I decided to add the tomato paste because I found that the raw tomatoes didn't have enough flavor for me. Also, some people prefer to cook the shrimp with their skins and tails on, it does add more flavor but man it's messy picking those suckers off when all you wanna do is enjoy your meal.

Garlic Butter Pomodoro with Shrimp

serves 4
recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum

1 lb. large shrimp, deveined
salt, pepper, and olive oil for the pan

Pomodoro Sauce:
4 cloves garlic
4 cups diced fresh tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes
3 oz. tomato paste
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
4 TBS butter
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, cut or torn into small pieces
salt to taste
PASTA:
6-7oz. dried spaghetti noodles (I used the remaining half of a 12oz. box of pasta so I am kinda guestimating here)
Parmesan cheese for topping
Fresh basil garnish

Directions:

SHRIMP: Heat a TBS of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Cook until pink, about 2 minutes per side. Remove shrimp from the pan and set aside.
SAUCE: In the same pan, heat just a tiny bit more oil over medium low heat and toss the garlic in. Saute for a minute or two until it smells amazing. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and broth and simmer for 10-ish minutes. The tomatoes will start to become saucy, and gradually that sauce will start to thicken - patience.
PASTA: Cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
ALL TOGETHER NOW: Add the butter and basil to the thickened sauce and stir to combine. If it needs thickening, let it hang out on low heat for just a little while longer. Season to taste. When the sauce is ready, add the shrimp back in. Serve the sauce over top of the pasta with a little Parm, salt, and pepper.

Note:I just added my pasta into the pan of sauce and mixed it all together but some people like to dish out their sauce so do whichever you fancy.