Linguine with Shrimp

Yesterday my mom and I went to get foot massages. We were total noodles when we came home that all we wanted to do was watch a movie and eat popcorn. El found a movie on Netflix, called "Quill," that he thought sounded cute because it was about a Labrador puppy who was a seeing eye dog for a blind man in Japan (yes, it was a Japanese film with subtitles). It started off pretty adorable, with tons and tons of puppies running and falling. But we hardly expected the movie to end the was that we did; we were blubbering like babies! After that we needed a comforting meal and this dish sure did the job right. It's simple, light, refreshing, and so super easy. I found the original recipe from Barefoot Contessa but gave it a little bit of my own touch. First, much less salt. Second, I added a little bit of parmesan at the end (just as a garnish), and finally I omitted the parsley on mine because there is only one thing I despise of more than parsley: cilantro. The smell alone of either of these herbs makes me want to run in the corner with my tail between my legs and scream. Everyone else likes parsley so garnished their's with it and everyone was thrilled. Also, it should be noted that you MAY NOT use vegan butter for this because it doesn't melt the same way. We use olive oil AND butter because of the high burning temperature of the oil and the butter has a ton of flavor (and the garlic won't burn as easily if you use oil AND butter). If you let the sauce sit for a minute or 2 at the end, it thickens and just becomes heavenly. 

Try this meal if you are running late for dinner or are just too tired to make something which requires a lot of effort. It looks gourmet and fancy, but it is SO easy and yummy :)

What you'll need:

2 lb. FRESH shrimp

1 package linguine

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 stick unsalted butter

2 tbs. kosher salt, plus 1 tsp.

1 tsp. pepper

10 cloves minced garlic 

Zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 lemon sliced into rounds

Light sprinkle red pepper flakes 

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiled, add the 2 tbs. salt, 2 tbs olive oil, and cook your linguine according to the directions on the box.

2. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, heat the remaining olive oil and the butter. Mince the garlic as finely as you can (hint, I used the mini food processor here. SO much easier) and cook for about 2 minutes (be careful NOT to let it burn).

3. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook for 2 minutes per side. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice, zest, remaining salt, and pepper.

4. When the pasta is finished, drain and add to the pan with the shrimp. Toss in the lemon slices and give everything a good mix, making sure the pasta is fully coated in the sauce.

5. Garnish with some parsley (if you dare) and some parmesan cheese.

enjoy :)

mine, sans the parsley