Non-Traditional Easter Dinner

Ever have one of those holidays where you just are not motivated to do the whole traditional meal? Even as we were getting ready for church yesterday, I still didn't know what I was going to make for Easter dinner...Ham, lamb, beef? My family seemed less that eager to help me with my culinary quandary.

So I finally decided to make one of our family favorites and call it a day. For Easter 2010 the Burtons had Shrimp and Tortellini with Vodka Sauce!

Here's the recipe if you want to try it.

Ingredients

1 lb of medium sized Shrimp
1 can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
1/2 cup vodka (I once mistakenly made it with 1 cup, doesn't hurt it)
1 Bunch of Asparagus, chopped
1 pint of light cream
1 package of fresh Four-cheese Tortellini
1 tsp Minced garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive oil


In a large pan, slowly simmer tomatoes (with juice) and vodka until almost all of the moisture is cooked down, about ten minutes.

Add the cream and stir until blended. Simmer this until it is a thickened.

Bring a stock pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Add the pasta just before you start to sauté your asparagus.

If you like a little color on your shrimp, season them with salt and pepper and garlic powder and fry them in a separate hot pan with a little olive oil -- just long enough to give a slight "crust" don't cook them through. Remove from the pan and set aside.

In the same pan you just removed the shrimp from; add a little more olive oil if needed and some minced garlic. Add the chopped asparagus and sauté until al dente -- I don't know about you, but I hate mushy vegetables.

If you want a two pan meal vs. a three pan meal, just add the raw shrimp and the asparagus to the pan with the vodka suace after it has thinkened. Personally, I like the flavor that comes from cooking things separately and then bringing them together.

After your vodka sauce has thickened, add the al dente asparagus and the "browned" shrimp. Don't worry if the vodka sauce is a little thick, the moisture from the shrimp and asparagus will thin it a little.

Simmer this until the shrimp it cooked through.

Plate the drained tortellini and spoon the sauce over it and serve.

Enjoy.

Serves 4

Calories: I have no idea but with cream being one of the ingredients you know it's not low fat.


Alterations - Use brandy instead of vodka
Use more vegetables
Sauce is good with chicken or salmon