Shrimp and Mushrooms Fra Diavolo Over Whole Wheat Penne

Hi Everyone,

First, I want to thank everyone for your e-mails and encouragement.  I am very happy so many of you are enjoying the recipes.  One of the first e-mails I received was from a friend who described my posts as “the culinary talents of Julia Childs meeting the witty humor of Nathan Lane—a great idea for a cookbook.”   I couldn’t agree more.  In fact, that’s what I have been doing for months—writing a cookbook. 

The book is all about growing up as an overweight gay kid.  I mean food was my best friend.  It attended all of my most important, crazy, and funny occasions in life; and my grandmother was always there, giving her great advice and her incredible support, and cooking those mouth-watering dishes. Wait until you read the chapter I just finished:  “No Need to Panic.  Just Don’t Button It.”  It’s one of my favorite memories of how my grandmother’s great advice, and, of course, her homemade spinach and meat ravioli, turned a humiliating but humourous First Communion experience into a wonderful family dinner. 

My cookbook will include my grandmother’s delicious old-world recipes, but don’t worry.  For us poor folks who have to lose a few pounds, there will be my reduced-fat versions.  Now I’m sure you’re asking yourselves, “Why is he telling us this?”  Good question.  Instead of posting a recipe every Monday, I'm going to start posting every other Monday.  This will give me time to finish the book and to work on something new.  Next month I’m going to try to do a podcast of a cooking demonstrating of one of my recipes—the key word here being “try.” 

Now, for this week’s recipe:  Whole Wheat Penne with Shrimp and Mushrooms.  Enjoy.  

Shrimp and Mushrooms Fra Diavolo Over Whole Wheat Penne

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds of shrimp peeled and deveined

½ cup of sliced Oyster Mushrooms

1 cup of sliced Crimini Mushrooms

1 cup of sliced Portabella Mushrooms

1 cup of sliced White Mushroom

Olive Oil Pam

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 clove of elephant garlic coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper

2 cups of canned crushed tomatoes

1 small jar (no more than 8 ounces) of sundried tomatoes drained and rinsed

½ cup of clam juice

Salt to taste

1 pound of cooked Whole Wheat Penne

Spray a medium pot with Olive Oil Pam.  Add olive oil and heat over medium flame for one or two minutes.  Sauté the garlic and the crushed red pepper in the olive oil until garlic is lightly browned.   Add the crushed tomatoes, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, and clam juice.  Salt to taste.  Cook for fifteen minutes on medium  heat.  Add the shrimp.  Cook for an additional ten minutes.   Serve over whole wheat penne.

Note:  If the variety of mushrooms are unavailable, you may use all White Mushrooms.