If you know me at all, it's not for a lack of cooking--no! no! What I have allowed to keep me from sitting down and typing up the goodies are silly things like "other bloggers' photos are so much prettier than mine" and "oh, let me just troll through Pinterest for a few minutes" and even "now where did I file those photos I took of that recipe?" So, if you can live through the basics of my ramblings and the non-professional photos, I think you'll still glean some insight into what turns my kitchen into a playground and sanctuary of sanity on a regular basis!
How about on this snowy first day in May? (yes, you read that right): My shrimp version of David Rocco's Spaghetti A Limon--so simple, and so delicious. During all the many days I was tied up with writing papers and completing projects for my master's degree, I had to find quick and easy dinner recipes that were still full of flavor. This one truly made me smile every time I made it!
Andrea's Quick Lemon Pasta with Shrimp:
1 lb pkg. capellini pasta (that's the smaller sticks of spaghetti)
1 garlic clove, for rubbing
lemon juice from 2 lemons, freshly squeezed
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO-use lemon flavored if you can find it. I buy mine at Oil & Vinegar--I'm addicted to their products and now have to stock up whenever I travel to Texas!)
salt to season
1 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated, plus extra for sprinkling/garnish (I also like the large grated chunks for the garnish finish)
the zest of 1 lemon, freshly grated
1 12-oz. pkg. frozen jumbo cooked shrimp, peeled & deveined with tails (or cook up fresh if you prefer)
1 T lemon EVOO (kicks up flavor another notch)
1) Bring large pot of cold, well-salted water to a boil.
2) Add entire package of pasta, stirring to avoid sticking.
3) Cut garlic in half and rub the exposed area all over the interior of a large pasta serving bowl. This offers the flavor of the garlic without adding it to the recipe! Such a smart trick. You can trash the garlic at this point, or cut it up and use it in something else you happen to be cooking that day!
4) Add freshly squeezed lemon juice to the bowl and then slowly drizzle in the EVOO, stirring well while emulsification happens in front of your eyes!
5) Mix in salt and the cheese.
6) Saute shrimp in EVOO over medium heat until warmed through.
6) At the point of al dente, drain the pasta and add to the serving bowl, mixing well.
7) Add cooked shrimp and sprinkle with additional cheese and lemon zest (I just love that citrus zester tool in the pic above. It is such fun to play with but so is a microplane, so get you one of each if you can!)
8) Serve immediately!
