Shrimp Alfredo

Ingredients
12 oz. penne pasta or fettucine
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
Dash of Cajun seasoning
Dash of cayenne pepper
Red pepper flakes
Dash dried basil

Veggies
1 onion, diced
1 green onion, chopped small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 pound Portobello mushrooms, sliced thinly
Less than 1/4 cup parsley, parsley

Meat
Bacon bits
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined (shrimp size should be between 20 and 30 per pound

Dairy
1 (15 oz.) jar Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup cream or half-and-half

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Return to pot and drizzle pasta with olive oil.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter together with the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes.
3. Stir in garlic, bell pepper, and mushroom. Cook over medium-high heat until soft, about 2 minutes. 
4. Add bacon bits.
5. Stir in shrimp and cook until firm and pink. (Do not over cook! Pre-cooked frozen shrimp don’t need to be defrosted and are easily overcooked.)
6. Pour in Alfredo sauce, Romano or Parmesan cheese, and cream. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly until thickened, about 5 minutes.
7. Season with cayenne, dried basil, red pepper flakes, dash of Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir drained pasta into sauce and heat thoroughly with chopped parsley.

Yield: 4 servings