Peeling that pound of shrimp was SO worth it.

Tonight we revamped a recipe that I originally found on Kraft Foods dot com. I love taking the ideas from this website and making them healthier and less product-driven. In other words, more pretentious interesting.

Tonight's dinner was originally deemed "Bow-Thai Pasta," although I find that to be slightly cheesy and would welcome suggestions for a renaming.

This dish I can only describe as Thai-Italian fusion, and it is actually quite delightful. It is low in calories overall- go for a nice walk after the meal to make up for the carbs in the pasta, as we did this evening. Aside from the shrimp, it is extremely affordable. Buy shrimp on sale from your local seafood counter, or simply substitute chicken- I haven't tried that yet, but I'm sure it's just as good!

"Bow-Thai Pasta"

8 oz. farfalle pasta
3/4 lb. steamed shrimp, cleaned
1Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 red bell pepper, julianned
1 large carrot, coined
1/2 c. peas, fresh or frozen
4 Tbsp. sesame-ginger salad dressing

1. Cook farfalle pasta as directed on package.
2. Heat olive oil and garlic in a medium skillet. Add carrots, cook on medium heat until slightly tender.
3. Add red pepper, continue cooking over medium heat until tender, stirring frequently.
4. Add peas and cleaned shrimp. Reduce heat to medium-low, cook for one minute.
5. Pour sesame-ginger dressing into skillet, maintain heat and stir frequently until vegetables and shrimp are coated with dressing.
6. Pour pasta and vegetable-shrimp mixture into large bowl. Mix well, until farfalle is coated in dressing. Add additional dressing if needed, to taste. Serve hot.


This is very easy to prepare, serves two to four people (depending upon your appetite), and is easy to adjust for a larger crowd. Plus, it's colorful!

A few notes:
- You could try adding diced onion.
- Ask the seafood counter attendant to refrain from using Old Bay or any other seasoning when steaming your shrimp. The flavor profiles will clash!
- Newman's Own sesame and ginger dressing is the best flavor I've found so far. Let me know if you find better!
- Snow peas also work well. I just dislike the pods.


Have you tried "Bow Thai Pasta" yet? Perhaps you've come up with a better name?