A friend of ours found out this past year that she had cancer... and then she proceeded to completely kick its ass. Her determination, bravery and health were most definitely something to celebrate! We picked out a lovely Saturday evening and had our friends over for dinner. I decided to make a seafood pasta dish with some bright veggies. Since the weather was so nice, I cranked up the grill and threw some shrimp tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper on there for a few minutes. I'm a big fan of grilled shrimp and I think that along with the brightness of the vegetables, it gives the pasta a nice "Spring-y" taste, but you certainly don't have to grill yours first. This turns out just as well when everything is done in a big pot on the stove.
Here's a recipe for my most favorite seafood pasta!
*one pound of large shrimp, peeled and deveined
*one pound of black mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
*1/2 pound of bay scallops
*4 tbls olive oil
*one shallot, chopped
*2 tbls minced garlic
*one pack (8oz) sliced fresh baby portabella mushrooms
*2 roma tomatoes, chopped
*1.5 cups of chopped asparagus
*2 cups white wine (I use pinot grigio)
*juice from one lemon
*1/2 lb of linguini, cooked al dente
*a handful of chopped Italian parsley
*one cup fresh parmesan cheese
*salt and pepper
Toss your prepared shrimp with 2 tbls olive oil, some salt and pepper. If you choose to grill them, put them on for 2 minutes per side on medium-high heat and then set aside. Otherwise, grab a large skillet and heat to medium-high heat and lay your shrimp in the hot pan. Cook for 2 minutes and flip to the other side. Cook for another minute or two and then set shrimp aside. In the same pan, add the other two tbls olive oil and then add the shallot and garlic. Cook for a minute and then add your asparagus. Let cook for a minute and then add the mushrooms. Let cook for about 4-5 minutes, but be careful not to let the garlic or shallots burn. You'll want to stir it up often. Add the wine and let simmer down and reduce by about half. While it's simmering down, add the mussels, scallops, tomatoes and lemon juice. Cover for just a minute or two until the mussels open. Any mussels that don't open need to be discarded. Add the cooked shrimp and cooked linguini. Remove from heat, throw in the parmesan cheese, a bit of salt and pepper and the chopped parsley. Serve with garlic bread for a fresh, fantastic dish your family or guests will LOVE.
What's your fav thing to make when you have friends over?
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