I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate. --Julia Child
I admit it, I'm small. 5' 2"--short. Petite. Little. Those are all fine, but I don't like being called "shrimpy." (You know who you are.) However, I do love shrimp. I have a quick, tasty shrimp pasta dish that I've been making for years, yet haven't made in a long time until this week. I will not make that mistake again -- we will definitely be having it again soon.
Gourmess' Shrimp Pasta
1 box spaghetti or linguine
1TBS kosher salt
12-24 large, raw shrimp (at least 4 per person, cleaned and de-veined, tails removed)
3-4 TBS unsalted butter
2 TBS olive oil
3 garlic cloves (minced)
Red pepper flakes
1 Tsp lemon juice
2 Tsp garlic salt
1 cup mixed vegetables (corn, peas, carrot mix)
Bread crumbs
Fresh ground black pepper
- Put water in a pasta pot, add the salt and bring to boil, add in pasta and boil for about 7-9 minutes, or until it is al dente. Drain -- but do not rinse. Cover with a lid to keep warm.
- If shrimp is frozen, thaw and run cold water over them for a few minutes. Drain and pat dry. If fresh, rinse with cold water and pat dry. Set aside, but keep chilled.
- Heat butter and oil in a large pan over medium heat. When the rim of your pan is hot, add the garlic and reduce the heat. Sauté until soft -- do not let it brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic pieces from the pan, and discard. You should have a lovely, garlic butter sauce at this point.
- Add a couple shakes of red pepper flakes to the pan along with the lemon juice and garlic salt. Take a piece of bread and test the sauce -- it should be buttery and garlicky. The lemon and hot pepper shouldn't be too obvious -- so don't over do it.
- Add the shrimp and cover the pan, cooking on medium low for a few minutes, until the shrimp is pink and cooked through. Remove from heat, but keep covered.
- Thaw the vegetables if using frozen and put in a microwave-safe bowl for a couple minutes until heated through.
- Grab a large serving bowl and add the pasta, then the shrimp, sauce and veggies. Toss until incorporated and then add a couple pinches of bread crumbs and toss again. At this point, I do the "fork test" I twirl a bunch of the pasta and a piece of shrimp on a fork and take a bite. If it needs more salt or perhaps a bit more olive oil, I add it now.
- Top with fresh cracked pepper and serve with garlic bread and a green salad.
Shrimp
