Week Night Warriors – Pasta w/ Shrimp & Artichokes

Last evening Mr TBTAM and I were debating whether to order in for the millionth time this month or try to put together a decent meal for ourselves and the kids on a busy week night when we were both dog-tired.

I am so proud of us that we didn’t give in to the stack of menus sitting in the drawer under the phone. Instead, armed with a glass of white wine each, we raided the larder to see what we could come up with that did not entail a trip to the store and could be on the table before 8 pm.

That’s it down there, and it was delicious. With a little side salad, it did the trick. Veni, Vedi, Comedi!

Pasta with Shrimp, Peas, Artichoke Hearts and Sun-dried Tomatoes

-1/2 bag frozen, uncooked shrimp from Fairway
-1/4 bag frozen artichoke hearts from Trader Joes (left by Irene on her last visit)
– A few sundried tomatoes that have been sitting in a little bag on the counter for the past three months, and that I was wondering if I would ever use.
-1/4 cup of frozen peas from an opened bag that’s been in the freezer forever (and that will remain there even longer because there is still 1/2 bag left)
-Half a lemon from the bottom of the drawer in the fridge that miraculously was still good
– 3-4 cloves garlic, sliced
-Olive oil
-Kosher Salt
-Fresh ground pepper
-1/4 cup white wine from my glass
-1 pound penne pasta

Put water on to boil for pasta, with a touch of salt. Put peas in a bowl with just enough water to cover; drain when thawed. Soften sun-dried tomatoes in some warm water for a few minutes. Drain and slice into slivers. Put artichoke hearts into a small saucepan, cover with water and a squeeze of lemon, and heat till boiling, then cook for 3-4 minutes till done. Drain and set aside. Thaw shrimp by running them under cold water, then peel, drain and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.

Start pasta cooking.

Heat olive oil in saute pan will hot. Toss in shrimp and cook till pink. Remove shrimp to a bowl. Add a bit more oil to the pan, then saute garlic till aromatic (do not brown). Deglaze pan with a 1/4 cup white wine and remaining juice of the lemon. Add in the peas, artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes and heat while wine cooks down a bit. Add shrimp back in, heat briefly

Drain pasta and put in bowl. Toss with shrimp mixture. Serve.