Pasta with Bacon, Artichokes and Shrimp

We haven't made pasta in forever and wanted to try our hand with shrimp. Granted, we used frozen shrimp, but baby steps! 


We used this recipe from All Recipes as a basis, but of course added our own flair (read: lots of spice and bacon!). 


The bacon taste is not too overpowering and and gives each bite a satisfying bacon flavor and same goes for the crushed red pepper flakes. These are very potent, so you can adjust to taste.


This is a very easy recipe, but watch the cook time on the shrimp to make sure it doesn't turn rubbery. 


The dish looks monochromatic, but trust us, there are many, many tastes at play here!


Prep time: 25 minutes (includes thawing of shrimp)
Cook time: 15 minutes


Ingredients: 

• 1 package fettuccine 
• 1 tablespoon bacon grease, plus the grease from the fresh bacon
• 2-3 strips of thick cut bacon, cut into strips 
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen fully cooked salad shrimp, thawed
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (14 ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan & Romano cheese

While the pasta is boiling, cook the bacon  and garlic until the bacon is crispy. Add the artichokes, shrimp, red pepper flakes and salt. Toss the pasta with the shrimp mixture. Top with the cheese mixture.