This recipe goes out to my Insta follower @ryansuperflyjc as per his request! I love it when fans ask me for recipes (rather than me sharing just the ones I like or think others will), so keep those comments and requests coming! I will say, I made this dish on the fly using leftover ingredients in my fridge and I didn’t take the time to accurately measure so I will do my best to recreate what I did. No matter, I called it “pasta all casa” because it’s a combo of random food stuffs I had on hand; feel free to get creative when inventing your own Pasta alla Casa! Enjoy!!

Ingredients: Feeds 4

• 12 oz tube shaped pasta (I like rigatoni)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 oz pancetta, diced
• 1 small shallot, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1b shrimp, shelled/de-veined/chopped
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup low sodium stock
• 2 cups light cream
• 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tbsp prepared pesto
• salt and pepper
• red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, torn or chopped
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan plus extra
• parsley, chopped for garnish

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a large cast iron enamel coated skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat until glistening. Add pancetta and cook until fat begins to render. Add the shallots and garlic and continue to cook until fragrant and crispy.
3. Add the chopped shrimp to the skillet and cook until they begin to turn opaque, stirring frequently (should take only a few minutes). Remove shrimp and pancetta from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
4. Add the butter to the skillet and once melted sprinkle in the flour. Whisk until incorporated and pasty. Add the stock and cream and whisk until mixed. Add the tomatoes and pesto and season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Stir occasionally until sauce thickens.
5. Once sauce has thickened, add the basil and parmesan and mix well. Fold the pancetta and shrimp into the sauce.
6. Once pasta reaches your desired tenderness (I prefer al dente) drain but reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
7. Toss pasta with your sauce in the skillet, adding small amounts of pasta water to thin the sauce as needed.
8. Serve family style with additional parmesan, red pepper flake and parsley garnish!