Why hello there July! Last year I was getting ready for our summer vacation to Miami and the Bahamas for Fourth of July weekend. This year we will be staying local for the holiday, due to too much going on in our lives. But, that means we will get to do the normal 4th of July thing to do, BBQ burgers, hot dogs and other things in between.
I know my red, white and blue spirit is lacking around here. Maybe next year i'll be more up to speed with the patriotic holiday food. Although today's post is not very patriotic, it sure is a delicious one. It's no surprise that I am a big fan of enchilada sauce. A few weeks ago I shared these Enchilada Stuffed Peppers and I can assure you this won't be my last post with "enchilada" in the title. I have so many other enchilada posts coming your way, like traditional green and red enchiladas, which are my favorite. Ok... moving on to this yummy Shrimp Enchilada Pasta.
This shrimp enchilada pasta is a super easy recipe. I wanted to make an Enchilada inspired dish using pasta instead of rolling each corn tortilla, which made dinner prep a breeze. I used a mild red enchilada sauce and added a couple spices and blended a California Red Chile for additional flavor. I chopped a red bell pepper because a meal without any veggies is not complete, right? But, any veggie of choice works with this dish. I then thawed the frozen shrimp in warm water for a few minutes. In a medium size pan, on medium heat, I added olive oil, minced garlic, shrimp, parsley, red pepper flakes, and garlic salt and let sit for about about 5-8 minutes. For the final step, I layered the baking dish with all ingredients and baked for about 10 minutes.
If you happen to have leftovers, this meal may be tastier after sitting over night. The next day Jerry took some leftovers to work, and I got a text from him saying, “lunch was really good!” So, I’m happy to say this dish is a winner fresh and on day two!
Shrimp Enchilada Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb cooked shrimp (I used small frozen salad shrimp)
- 12 oz pasta (I used rotini pasta)
- 1 10 oz. mild red enchilada sauce
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 California red chile, stemmed and seeded (optional)
- ⅛ teaspoon oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ tablespoon parsley
- ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ cup of shredded mild cheddar (I used low-fat)
- ½ cup of shredded mozzarella/parmesan blend
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions
- In a small saucepan boil water and add California red chile for about 5-8 minutes until skin looks soft. Let pepper cool down for a few minutes.
- Place chili pepper in a blender with enchilada sauce, pepper, oregano and blend until smooth.
- Thawed frozen shrimp over warm water for a few minutes.
- In medium size pan add olive oil and minced garlic and cook over medium-heat.
- After a couple minutes, add shrimp, parsley, red pepper flakes and garlic salt.
- Once all ingredients are combined (about 5-8 minutes) Set a side.
- Start layering the baking dish with all ingredients: pasta, shrimp, bell pepper, sauce and top with cheese
- Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted in 350 degrees
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Sam @ SugarSpunRun
Oh yum, this sounds so good Ana! I've found that usually dishes like this (pasta ones, especially) really do taste best the next day after the flavors have more time to meld. This looks great, pinned!
Ana
Thank you Sam! I love it when leftovers taste even better. 🙂
Ashley | The Recipe Rebel
I just love all the flavors going on in here! I hope you had a great July 4th weekend!
Ana
Thanks Ashley!
Kankana
Am a huge fan of pasta, specially the ones that is not covered in marinara sauce. This sounds quite YUM!
Ana
Thanks Kankana!
Chelsea @chelseasmessyapron
What a creative and delicious recipe! I love simple pasta dishes like this one 🙂
Ana
Thanks so much Chelsea!
Dani @ DaniCaliforniaCooks
This looks so delicious, and it is so creative! So glad I stumbled upon your blog this morning. Thanks for sharing!
Ana
Thanks Dani! Glad you stumble upon my blog 🙂
Annie @ The Garlic Diaries
This looks fantastic, Ana! I love meals where the leftovers taste even better :). Yum!
Ana
Thanks Annie! 🙂
GiGi Eats
OOOO I totally wanna make this with spaghetti squash!
Ana
Oooh spaghetti squash is such a great idea! 🙂 Thanks Gigi!
Arpita@ The Gastronomic Bong
Shrimp enchilada pasta sounds awesome.. love the flavours.. have a beautiful weekend!
Ana
Thanks Arpita! Hope you are having a wonderful weekend 🙂
J @ A Hot Southern Mess
Oh well doesn't this just looks superb! I wonder how awesome it would taste with chicken in it? Only one way to find out 😉
Ana
Thanks J! I'm sure this would taste just as good with chicken 🙂