Southern Shrimp and Pasta
Shrimp and penne in a creamy, BBQ-seasoned sauce with bacon and roasted red peppers — a freezer-friendly Southern spin on shrimp pasta.
- Prep Time
- 15 min
- Cook Time
- 25 min
- Total Time
- 40 min
- Servings
- 6 servings
When I started my freezer meal business back in 2017, the goal was always easy, comforting food you could batch out and bake on nights you just don't feel like cooking. This recipe sat in my "to test" folder for two years before I finally got around to it.
My kids weren't so sure about the wine in the sauce, but my 9-year-old went back for seconds and my 5-year-old — who declared it "looked gross" — ended up cleaning his plate anyway. I was hoping for a few leftover bites for myself while portioning these into freezer containers. No such luck.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. peeled shrimp
- 1 lb. penne pasta
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup dry white wine or cooking sherry
- 5 cups half and half
- 2 green onions, minced
- 2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1/2 cup roasted red bell pepper, minced
- 1 tbsp. BBQ seasoning
- 2-3 tsp. kosher salt
Instructions
- 1Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat, then whisk in the flour.
- 2Slowly add the wine and BBQ seasoning, whisking, and cook for 1 more minute.
- 3Whisk in the half and half, and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally to break up any clumps, for about 12-15 minutes, until thickened.
- 4Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions, pulling it off a minute or two early, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
- 5In a separate skillet, sauté the shrimp in 2 tbsp. butter over medium heat until opaque, 3-4 minutes; set aside.
- 6When the sauce has thickened, reduce the heat to low and stir in the shrimp, green onions, and roasted red peppers.
- 7Remove from the heat, toss with the cooked pasta, and serve with the crumbled bacon on top.
Storage & Reheating
Freezer meal instructions: divide into foil containers and cool completely before covering. Freeze for up to 3 months; bake from frozen at 350°F for 1 hour 15-30 minutes, or thaw in the refrigerator and bake at 350°F for 45-55 minutes.
