Gourmet Weeknight Dinner in a Snap!

These recipes are too good and too easy not to share! They're simple, quick and super tasty. Great for an easy weeknight dinner or would also be great to entertain. This first one comes from my favorite Food Network star, Ina Garten. 

Shrimp Scampi with Linguini 

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil 

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons

• 3/4 pound linguine 
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
• 1 pound large shrimp (about 16 shrimp), peeled and deveined
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 lemon, zest grated
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• 
  
• Directions:
• Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.
  
  
  Meanwhile, in another large, heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.

  When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

  
  

  Pesto Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls

  A friend of mine made a pesto cream cheese crescent roll "pizza" as an appetizer last week for a meeting and I fell in love with it. Then I saw pesto crescent rolls on Pinterest cut like cinnamon rolls, so I married the two ideas and got a great little side for my shrimp scampi linguini. 

  
  

  

  
  

  Ingredients:

  
  

  1/2 cup pesto

  1/2 cup cream cheese

  1 can Pilsbury crescent rolls

  
  

  
  

  

  
  

  Roll out the can of crescent rolls

  
  

  

  
  

  Spread 1/2 cup softened cream cheese onto crescent rolls

  
  

  

  
  

  Spread 1/2 cup pesto onto cream cheese

  
  

  

  
  

  Roll into a log

  
  

  

  
  

  Cut into rounds and place into a baking dish as pictured above. Allow 8-10 minutes more than the maximum cooking time on the package of crescent rolls. Yum!