BAKED PARMESAN SHRIMP

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter melted

1 tbsp parsley fresh and chopped (or 1/2 tbsp dried)

1/2 lb shrimp peeled, devined, tail off

1 lb penne

2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup parmesan cheese plus more for topping

1 pinch salt to taste

1 pinch black pepper to taste

2 tbsp breadcrumbs

4 cherry tomatoes cut in fourths and seedy pulp disgarded

         Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. While oven preheats, prepare pasta to package instructions, reducing cook time by 1 minute. Drain pasta, cover, and set aside.
3. Pour melted butter in the bottom of a deep 8x8 baking dish. Add raw shrimp and parsley, then toss to coat. Shrimp should line the bottom of the dish in an even layer.
4. Cook shrimp in the oven for 15 minutes.
5. While shrimp cooks, pour heavy whipping cream into a medium saucepan. Over medium heat, bring cream to a boil. Cook cream for 5 minutes, whisking constantly to avoid boiling over. After 5 minutes, add parmesan cheese and salt + pepper to taste. Bring mixture to boil again, continuing to whisk, and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
6. Add cooked pasta to cream sauce and then toss to coat. If shrimp is still cooking, cover and set aside pasta until shrimp is done.
7. Once shrimp is done: Reduce oven temp to 350 degrees (Tip: prop oven door open for a few minutes to help it cool faster). Temporarily transfer shrimp and butter sauce to a small bowl. Pour pasta into the deep 8x8 baking dish, then add the buttery shirmp back in on top of the pasta. Finish off by sprinkling chopped cherry tomatoes, 1-2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese, and breadcrumbs on top.
8. Bake pasta for 10-12 minutes or until cheese looks slightly melted and tomatoes are tender. 
9. Let parmesan baked shrimp cool for 5 minutes before serving.