Our weeks are full of work, social activities, and kids’ school events.  There’s always something on the family calendar and it can make it stressful to make a filling and healthy meal that the family enjoys.

Let’s avoid the stress after a long day, and let’s look at a simple meal.

We have often done pasta and ketchup, with some cheese sprinkled on top, but that becomes rather boring after a few runs.  And, eating too much pasta is not healthy either.  It/s easy, but not nutritional.

It was with some trepidations that I tested pasta variations.  You know, pasta made from wheat, chickpeas, quinoa, rice, etc.  Anything other than regular pasta.  The drawback is that these alternatives are slightly more expensive, so it no longer becomes a quick and cheap meal to have pasta.

Ideally, I want to make pasta myself, but that takes a fair bit of time, so we need to have a suitable alternative.

Please note –  I do not use any salt when cooking food for my family.  Salt is overrated and not needed when cooking.  There are plenty of natural salts in the foods, meats, veggies etc., and shrimp (shellfish) contain extra amounts of natural salts.

Ingredients

• Pasta of your choice
• 1 tbsp of butter (unsalted)
• 2 tbsp of parmesan cheese
• 3 cloves of minced Garlic
• 1 glass of white wine
• 1 handful of chopped fresh parsley
• Approx. 1.5lbs of frozen shrimps

Now, follow these simple steps to mix this shit up

1. Boil and drain the pasta of your choice, to the al dente at your liking
2. If using frozen shrimps, defrost these suckers while you boil the pasta, and drain the excess water
3. Slowly melt the butter in a large pot
4. Add wine, cheese, garlic, parsley and pepper to taste
5. Simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently

   • Now it’s the perfect opportunity to pour a glass of white wine, to enjoy while cooking … might even have time for a second glass

6. Add the shrimp to the pot and cook at medium heat until the shrimps begin to turn pink.  Make sure to turn it over regularly, so the shrimps are nicely covered with the sauce

After about 15-20 minutes in the kitchen, and 2 glasses of wine, you should be relaxed (and maybe slightly intoxicated) and ready to serve food for a hungry family.

If you want to impress the inlaws and your partner, throw some fresh basil on top of the dish, and perhaps a few sliced cherry tomatoes.  Just an idea!