Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

Is there anything better than a quick, delicious recipe? Well, yes, of course there is, but still. I have an arsenal of quick 30-ish minute recipes for those days that Hubby has to work--and we have less than an hour to get him fed and out the door. This one just joined our permanent recipe file. It was a little sweet with just a little heat, and both my 5-year-old and 2-year-old loved it. You could also substitute chicken for the shrimp, if you'd prefer. But, shrimp. YUM. There are two changes I will make to the recipe next time I whip this one out (as I've already indicated in the ingredients): I wouldn't be sad if there were 2 pounds of shrimp, instead of 1 1/2. If shrimp is on sale, I'm going for 2 pounds. Also, with the delicious Thai flavor of the dish, a sprinkling of chopped scallions and peanuts would be amazing. Other than that, YUM. Do you have 30 minutes and a love of pasta, shrimp, and Thai food? Well then, make this.

Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

*Slightly adapted from My Incredible Recipes

For the pasta:

1 pound of linguine

1 1/2-2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon paprika

Black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

For the sauce:

1/2 cup of mayonnaise

1/2 cup Thai sweet chili sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons lime juice

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flake

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

Toppings:

Chopped scallions

Chopped peanuts

Boil a large pot of salted water. Add noodles and cook until al dente.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients and set aside. In another bowl, add the uncooked shrimp, garlic, paprika, and black pepper. Mix well. 

Add the olive oil to a large skillet on medium high heat. Cook the shrimp for about 6-7 minutes, or until no longer pink, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add the cooked noodles and the sauce, tossing well. Add in the chopped parsley and give it one more toss. 

Serve topped with chopped peanuts and scallions and enjoy!