With limited time and money, my weekly meals usually become a clinic on how to prepare chicken. My fridge must always have at least 10 marinades and different seasonings and sides, but the meat is always the same. Chicken is great, but when I am scrambling for variety, shrimp is always the way to go. Shrimp is the most versatile of the shellfish, and accents a pasta dish nicely. It also seems harder than it is, and being Italian means I use Parmesan and pasta to supplement most of my cooking.

Ingredients

1 lb. cooked shrimp

1 box of thin spaghetti

4 cups of basil leaves

3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese

1 cup of olive oil

1 1/4 cup of minced or finely chopped garlic

n The pesto sauce: Use a knife to finely chop the basil leaves, then add 1 cup of garlic and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Put in a small saucepan with olive oil and bring to a simmer. Continue to heat on low until served.

n The pasta: Boil a large pot of water. Add salt and entire box of pasta. Cook until tender, then drain water.

n The shrimp: Using a strainer, run desired shrimp under warm water to thaw. Once they are at room temperature, coat a frying pan in non-stick spray and add the shrimp. When shrimp begins to sizzle, add remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup of garlic to the pan, stirring frequently. Once shrimp crust is brown, remove from heat and let cool for several minutes.

n Serve.