Penne Pepperonata with Shrimp and Asparagus

A couple of years back, I became slightly obsessed with Trader Joe's.  I totally dug the fun shopping environment and great customer service.  Did you know they have free wine tasting?  When I found out there was a cookbook that could tell me how to use all their wonderful wares in new and inventive ways, I was immediately smitten.  I lingered in front of Cooking with all things Trader Joe's at every bookstore for what felt like a year before it was gifted to me on my birthday by my very handsome husband.

A note on this cookbook: Keep your excitement in check.  Some of the recipes in this book look awesome, but Trader Joe's is always rotating products in and out and does not guarantee that the ingredients in the book will be in the store.  Regardless, when you can find all of the ingredients, the result can be really fun.  I've been trying to expand my seafood repertoire, and I'm always up for pasta, so the "Penne Pepporanata with Shrimp and Asparagus" sounded like a good idea.



Fixins:

• 1 16-oz bag of frozen Penne Pepperonata
• 1 1/2 cup asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 1/2 cup Large or Medium Tail-Off Shrimp (the recipe called for cooked, but I cooked my own in olive oil with salt and pepper)

 You don't need to thaw any ingredients - just throw everything in a big saute pan and heat it up.

Result:

I just love how fortifying this dish was.  From the hearty shrimp to the crunchy green asparagus, the dish was really nicely balanced in terms of texture.  Unfortunately, the flavor wasn't all that impressive.  It was vastly improved with the addition of salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes for spice.  The penne pepperonata bag promised a creamy, red pepper-based sauce.  I got the red peppers, but I did not get the "creamy."  The preparation recommended in this recipe is very simple and leaves out a few steps recommended on the bag, namely adding water.  I think this is a good thing in the end since I fear the flavor would have been further diluted with the addition of water.

Repeat:
Maybe.  I think the idea of this recipe is better than the result.  I will probably try to replicate this recipe with my own pepper sauce, but I doubt I'll be investing in the frozen version any time soon.