Want to make a special treat for that special someone? Enjoy this romantic pasta dinner for 2!

(makes 2 servings)

Ingredients

½ pint cherry or grape tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 portions linguine or other long strandy pasta

Salt for pasta water, to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

¾ pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved

Salt, pepper, and (optional) Cajun or Creole seasoning, to taste

¼ cup olive oil

Chopped parsley, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).

In a bowl, combine tomatoes, olive oil, and pepper.  Stir to combine.

Place tomatoes on a parchment lined sheet pan. Place in the center of your preheated oven and cook until shriveled and just about to burst, about 15-20 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Place reserved shrimp shells into a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat, and set aside to infuse for about 30 minutes. Strain, reserve ¼ cup for the pasta, and freeze the remainder for another use.

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to the package directions.

While the pasta cooks, melt butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Season the shrimp with salt, pepper, and (optional) Cajun or Creole seasoning.  Add to the pan and cook for about 1 and ½ minutes per side, or just until pink.

Add cooked tomatoes to the pan and stir to re-heat.

Pour in reserved shimp bouillon and stir to deglaze any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

Drain pasta and add to the pan with the shrimp and tomatoes.  Pour in olive oil, and stir everything together to coat.

Garnish with chopped parsley, and serve right away.