Shrimp Pasta Dish

1 pound baby penne
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus some for drizzling
2 pints grape tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated (I always just use crushed garlic from the jar)
24 medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined (I use frozen, uncooked shrimp from Costco)
6 scallions, green and white parts chopped on a bias
Zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cups basil, thinly sliced into ribbons
3 cups baby arugula, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Bring a large pot of water over to a boil over high heat for the pasta. Once the water comes to a boil, add a generous amount of salt and the pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain the pasta.

While waiting for the water to boil, place the tomatoes on a cookie sheet (I use a glass casserole dish--less messy), drizzle them with EVOO and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place tomatoes in the hot oven and roast until the tomatoes just start to burst, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, smash them lightly with a fork or a potato masher and reserve.

While the pasta is working and the tomatoes are almost ready, preheat a large-size skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the garlic to the hot skillet along with the shrimp.

Cook the shrimp on both sides until firm and pink, about 2 minutes per side. Add the scallions, cook for a minute or so, then add the pasta, lemon zest, basil, arugula, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Give it a good toss and pour it into a serving bowl. Add the reserved roasted tomatoes, toss to combine and serve.

***This above recipe is the origional recipe from Rachel Ray. My adapted version:

I know I use less pasta, more of the other ingredients. The first time I made this dish I felt there was less color and too much pasta. Use lots of oil, crushed garlic from the jar and salt/pepper to flavor the shrimp. The juices produced from the shrimp cooking is what gives your dish a lot of flavor. Along with the cooked tomatoes. I always make sure to taste the tomatoes after they are cooked and mashed and add more salt/pepper. Every time I saute more ingredients in I continue to season with salt and pepper as needed (you can always add garlic powder towards the end if your garlic taste is week). Fresh grated parmesan cheese to serve is delicious too!