shrimp alfredo

So the temperature finally dropped into the absolutely friggid 80s recently (crazy, right?) and it oddly put me in the mood for something heavy and hearty. One of my favorite cold-weather pasta dishes is a super rich alfredo, so I figured why not? Although it was in the "frigid" 80s, I still didn't feel like spending too much time in the kitchen, so instead of making in from scratch, I used a jarred alfredo sauce as a base. I know, sacrilegious! Whatever. It was easy. Here's what you'll need:

• 8 ounces linguine pasta
• 1 tablespoon cup butter
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 pound portobello mushrooms, diced
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 (8 ounces) jar Alfredo sauce (I used Bertolli)
• 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by bringing a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook per package directions, until al dente.

Meanwhile, melt the butter together with the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Next, stir in the garlic, red pepper and mushroom and cook over medium-high heat until soft, about another 2 minutes.

Stir in the shrimp, and cook until firm and pink, then pour in the alfredo sauce and Romano cheese and bring to a simmer stirring constantly until thickened, about 2 more minutes. Season with cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir drained pasta into the sauce, and serve. Simple and delicious, even with jarred sauce.

Bon chappétit!