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Creamy Penne with Broccoli and Shrimp

Oh pasta, what a wonderful comfort you are … especially creamy ones like this easy alfredo-wanna-be: Creamy Penne with Broccoli and Shrimp.

Thank you to Kraft Foods for offering me the opportunity to recreate a recipe with PHILADELPHIA Cooking Creme. Please click here to learn more about all the PHILADELPHIA Cooking Creme flavors and recipes. 

Can I tell you something? I agreed to work on this project with Philadelphia Cooking Creme (via Clever Girls Collective), but I wasn’t confident it was going to go well. Actually, I was downright worried it would be a terrible experience. Why? Because I don’t like cream cheese. At all. Unless it’s in cheesecake — but that’s totally different.

Yep, so I didn’t have high hopes. Still, I was willing to give it a try. You are probably wondering why I said yes. Well, for one, the kids love cream cheese, so I figured this would almost certainly be up their alley. And two, I am all about being open-minded about food. It’s what I have taught my kids, and I believe in practicing what you preach. It’s a good thing too. This turned out to be pretty darn good.

The recipe I was assigned was Shrimp and Broccoli Fettuccine using Savory Lemon and Herb Philadelphia Cooking Creme. The kids and I adore shrimp, so this sounded right up our alley — despite my uncertainty. Cream in pasta? Love. Cooking cream-iness in? I could do that. Before I started, I made two quick changes to the recipe: I used penne instead of fettuccine (it’s easier for the kids to eat and therefore less messy) and I added some freshly grated parmesan.

Making it? This was super simple. In the 11 minutes it takes to cook the pasta, I prepared the sauce (a simple mix of garlic, shrimp, Cooking Creme, milk and parmesan). All said — including water boiling time — this was ready in about 20 minutes. Hello, fast!

The sauce is creamy and a lot like alfredo, but much easier. It coats the pasta, shrimp and broccoli, lending a lot of lemon flavor to the shrimp. This does make quite a bit of sauce — you could totally double the pasta and have larger portion sizes as well. But that said, the small portion with its rich creaminess is very satisfying.

Would I make this again? Definitely. The kids and I all loved it. And the Philadelphia Cooking Creme made it so simple to make. Can’t complain about that. Serve this with crusty bread and a big salad and you have a full-on meal.

And I have a little surprise too … a video! I’m so nervous to share this since I am no expert at filming things like this. Oh, and I totally forgot to turn on my mic for the second half so there are some subtitles too. Sorry! Still, I hope you like it. The kids, who appear in the second half, want me to film more videos. And Will especially wants me to cook on camera. We’ll see!

Creamy Penne with Broccoli and Shrimp

Creamy Penne with Broccoli and Shrimp

Yield: 4 servings

adapted slightly from a Philadelphia Cooking Creme recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/4 lb. penne, , uncooked
  • 1 cup broccoli florets
  • 3/4 lb. frozen cooked cleaned medium shrimp, , thawed
  • 1 clove garlic, , minced
  • 1 tub, (10 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Savory Lemon & Herb Cooking Creme
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
  • 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta in large saucepan according to package directions. Add the broccoli when there is three-minutes of cooking time left.
  2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat (spray with cooking off if it isn't nonstick). Add the shrimp and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are cooked through -- 2-3 minutes.
  3. Stir in the Cooking Creme, milk and parmesan. Cook for 2-3 minutes until smooth and cooked through.
  4. Add the penne and broccoli to the pan. Toss well to combine. Serve with tomatoes on top.

Disclosure: Thank you again to Kraft Foods for sponsoring this blog post. I was selected as one of 20 bloggers by Technorati Media and Clever Girls Collective to participate in the Kraft Foods PHILADELPHIA Cooking Creme signature recipes campaign. While I have been compensated for my time and received the product, my opinions and experiences are my own.

Meal Plan: Healthy Dinner Ideas With More Greens

Monday 1st of October 2012

[...] Recipe: Creamy Penne with Broccoli & Shrimp from Sarah’s Cucina [...]

Whitney

Friday 24th of February 2012

I made this the other night and it was GREAT! Thanks for the idea!

Maureen

Friday 17th of February 2012

I've looked for Kraft's Philly Cooking Creme here in Australia but it's not in our town. Bugger. Your dish looks fantastic!

sarah

Tuesday 21st of February 2012

Thanks! But that stinks! Is it available in some places there?

Kate

Friday 17th of February 2012

This is the first I've heard of cooking cream - interesting.

sarah

Tuesday 21st of February 2012

It is. Interesting way to add flavor/creaminess with minimal work.

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