HG's Spicy Southern Shrimp Fettuccine

Coat our favorite noodle swap in a sauce made from our favorite cheese, and then add some spice, shrimp, and veggies to the mix. POOF! Dinner is served...

Ingredients:
2 bags House Foods Tofu Shirataki Fettuccine Shaped Noodle Substitute
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp. chopped garlic
8 oz. raw shrimp, peeled, tails removed, deveined
1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning, divided
2 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss cheese
1 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown)
2 tsp. reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping
Optional: salt, additional Cajun seasoning

Directions:
Use a strainer to rinse and drain noodles well. Dry as thoroughly as possible, using paper towels. Cut noodles up a bit with kitchen shears (if you've got 'em), and set aside.

Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat on the stove. Add bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Stirring often, cook until veggies have softened, about 7 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium. Add shrimp to the skillet with the vegetables, and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. Cajun seasoning. Add noodles, and cook and stir until shrimp are just opaque and noodles are warm, 1 - 2 minutes. Add cheese wedges by breaking them into pieces over the skillet. Add butter and remaining 1/4 tsp. Cajun seasoning. Mix until cheese and butter have melted and become uniform and sauce-like. Continue to cook until everything is hot and shrimp are cooked through, 1 - 2 minutes.

Evenly sprinkle each serving with 1 tsp. Parm-style topping. If you like, season to taste with salt and additional Cajun seasoning. Eat up!

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

Applebee's Cajun Shrimp Pasta

No lie -- we were pretty irritated when we first laid eyes on this entrée from Applebee's. We had already decided that it would be a PERFECT dish to make over, due to its high calorie count. Then we ordered it from our local restaurant. Sure, there was way too much pasta (we expected as much), but what's scary is that everything was coated with a tremendous amount of oil! TRULY SCARY. The only positive thing is that there was a lot of shrimp. However, these shrimp were soaked in so much oil, they were practically translucent. (Really -- you could almost see through them!) And the scant amount of veggies in the pasta dish was laughable. (It also came with garlic bread, which we think is pretty unnecessary when you're digging into a big bowl of carb-y pasta!) Not only is our dish MUCH lower in fat and calories, but it's also more flavorful without all that oil getting in the way. The spices are spicier, the shrimp are shrimpier, and the veggies taste like veggies. And with our guilt-free and delectable buttery cheese sauce, you'll have a smile on your face in no time. Sorry, Applebee's... We win again!