Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

A little Italian.. A little Asian.. The perfect combination of spice and creamy pasta! This is also a Cheesecake Factory dupe!

What you need:

• 8 ounces spaghetti noodles, cooked according to package directions and drained

• 12 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 1½ tablespoons olive oil (or coconut oil)

• 1 tablespoon fresh minced cloves of garlic

• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

• ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes

• fresh chopped parsley or fresh chopped cilantro (optional garnish)

For the Spicy Bang Bang Sauce

• ½ cup mayo

• ½ cup sweet Thai chili sauce

• juice of 1 lime

• 1½ teaspoons sriracha sauce

Lets get started:

• Make your sauce: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the mayo, sweet chili sauce, lime juice, and sriracha sauce until it is smooth. Set it aside

• Using a medium-sized mixing bowl, toss together the shrimp, ½ tablespoon olive oil, fresh minced garlic, paprika, kosher salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.

• In a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

• Add in the coated shrimp, constantly stirring to ensure the garlic does not burn and the shrimp cooks evenly, about 8 to 10 minutes. The shrimp will turn pink when completely cooked. There will also be liquid in the pan that the shrimp releases during cooking. Turn off the stovetop.

• Leaving the skillet on the stovetop, add the cooked spaghetti and sauce on top of the cooked shrimp. Toss to completely coat the noodles and the shrimp.

• Garnish with either the fresh chopped parsley or fresh chopped cilantro. Serve while hot.