My foodie heart belongs to pasta, and I always turn to pasta when looking for comfort. We have pasta for dinner at least once a week, and it is probably the thing I crave most.
As such, I was delighted to choose Sandra’s recipe as this week’s pick.
The recipe has been made by me before, both as written and with some variations. Anchovies are usually melted into the olive oil, fresh thyme is added, and I cook the tomatoes longer than the recipe suggests. This time, however, I added some fresh capers our friend brought us back from Italy, as well as some chanterelle mushrooms I got for cheap at Costco over the weekend. We don’t usually like capers, but these were tasty and briney, and it was like eating a capery caper.
Chanterelle mushrooms are fantastic!
Delicious!
This is the recipe I used this time around. It was delicious! Using lots of yummy veggies and shrimp, you end up with a very light but flavorful sauce. Something like this can, of course, be adapted to whatever you like and whatever you have at the time.
Shrimp & Vegetable Pasta
Four servings
Spaghetti or linguini, 1 pound
Two tablespoons of olive oil
Minced garlic cloves, four cloves
Chanterelle or any other mushroom, 8 oz.
Trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces, one bunch asparagus stalks
Halved cherry tomatoes, one container
Capers, 1/4 cup
Freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/3 cup
White wine, 1/2 cup
One pound of large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley, 1 cup
Freshly ground black pepper and salt
Parmigianno-Reggiano cheese freshly grated
Bringing a large pot of water to a boil is the first step. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook it as directed. Discard the cooking water, reserving 1 cup.
During this time, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the garlic for one minute.
Sauté the mushrooms until all the liquid has evaporated.
Asparagus and cherry tomatoes can be sauteed until the tomatoes break down.
Then add the capers, lemon juice, white wine, and the reserved cup of pasta water (if necessary). Let simmer until about half of the liquid has been reduced.
When the shrimp turn pink, add them and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Combine the pasta and parsley in the pan, then stir in the parsley—season with salt and pepper.
Put a healthy amount of Parmesan on top. Top each plate with cheese.