Shrimp pasta in spicy coconut tomato sauce

I have been using coconut milk a lot and it is a great way to turn recipes that use cream or milk into non-dairy by adding coconut milk or almond milk. Both coconut and almond milk give you almost the same texture as adding milk or cream, with a little kick on the flavor.  If you are looking for the texture similar to cream, you can use canned coconut milk. 

Ingredients:

* 2 tablespoons olive oil

* 1 pound shrimp, without shells, and deveined

* crushed red pepper

* paprika

* salt

* 1 small onion, finely chopped

* 4 garlic cloves, minced

* 1 can crushed tomatoes

* 1 cup chicken broth

* 1 tablespoon basil

* 1/4 teaspoon oregano

* 1/2 cup coconut milk

* 8 oz Rigatoni pasta

  

Instructions:

1. Pad shrimp dry. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook on one side for about 1 minute, until shrimp turns pink on that side. While it cooks, sprinkle the top of shrimp with crushed red pepper, paprika and salt to cover every single shrimp. Make sure not to crowd the shrimp in the skillet, otherwise moisture will form and shrimp won't sear right. And, don't skimp on spices. Using spatula turn shrimp over to the other side and cook for about 2 more minutes.  

2. Remove shrimp to a plate, and leave all the oil in the skillet.

3. Add chopped onion and minced garlic to the skillet and cook on medium high heat for about 2 minutes, occasionally stirring, until onions soften.

4. Add crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, basil and oregano, bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes, mixing occasionally and crushing all tomatoes into very small bites, until the sauce reduces just a bit. Add coconut milk, mix it in, and immediately remove from heat.

5. Add back the shrimp and pasta. Mix everything well to combine. Reheat on low simmer, if needed. Do not bring to boil or high heat as it might affect the sauce texture. Add more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve warm.