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Friday, May 8, 2009

Light Lemon Basil and Shrimp Pasta

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lemon basil shrimp pasta 1



This is a super simple and delicious pasta I like to make for Andrew. There is a misconception that pasta is a heavy, fattening dish but what makes a pasta dish caloric is normally the sauce. Here at home, I like to make pastas using fresh and often raw ingredients as well as lots of vegetables and herbs. This makes eating pasta easier on our waist lines... I normally have a bag of cooked frozen shrimps in the freezer. I find it very convenient and it allows me to whip up a meal in minutes, like this one. The touch of lemon is very subtle and brings a freshness to the dish. You can choose to leave the zest in the dish or remove it after it infused the oil.



Lemon Basil and Shrimp Pasta Recipe:


serves 1


The ingredients listed are for a single portion. To serve more, multiply them for as many portions you want to make. *If using fresh or frozen raw shrimps, just adjust the cooking time, it should take a few extra minutes, but remember that shrimps cook quickly and overcooking them may result in tough shrimps.


You will need:


1/4 of a package of spaghetti or linguine


olive oil


zest of 1 lemon


1 garlic clove, chopped


10 medium frozen (cooked) shrimps * (see note above)


a handful of fresh basil, chopped


salt and pepper



Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.


While pasta cooks, coat the bottom of a skillet with olive oil. Add the lemon zest and let it infuse the oil over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, being careful not to burn it. At this point you can strain the oil and discard the zest or keep it in the dish, it is up to your taste. Add the garlic and shrimp, turn the heat to medium and cook until shrimp is pink. Season with salt pepper to taste. Add the pasta along with some of the cooking liquid and stir well. Check the taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Add the chopped basil, mix well, transfer to a plate and serve immediately.
I am submitting this recipe for this month's edition of Weekend Wokking, an event created (and also hosted this month) by Wandering Chopsticks, check it out!


Enjoy it!



lemon basil shrimp pasta

11 comments:

Karen said...

This looks delicious!

Libby said...

Thanks for sharing this recipe. I enjoy reading all of your recipes and looking at your food photography. :-)

Finla said...

Beautiful, light and delicious.

katie said...

This looks so delicious and I agree with you that pasta can be healthy and still taste great!

Carrie said...

I love light pastas like this, too! This looks so nice and healthy.

Deseree said...

Yum! I too love pasta and think that it gets a bad rap when really if you do it right it's not that bad for you. Your photos are beautiful!

vanillasugarblog said...

I need to print this. I love basil when it's gently warmed up by the heat of the cooked noodles.

Unknown said...

I just shared this with my family, it went over amazingly well. I also added spinach to it, very good.

AbigailAbigail said...

I tried this recipe two weeks ago and have already made it three times now. It's so simple, from the ingredients (things you can easily keep around) to the preparation. Such an amazing dish to whip up effortlessly but still a truly impressive crowd pleaser.

Kristie said...

So great. I added a bit of red pepper flakes for a little zing. And used whole wheat pasta to make it more healthy. Delicious, fast and simple!

Anonymous said...

Just made this recipe - it was delicious!

However, instead of "though shrimps" (second paragraph), I assume you mean "tough".

Also, shrimps cannot "cook fast" (you are saying the shrimp are actually performing the cooking). Although it's an amusing mental picture, I believe you mean shrimp can cook "quickly".

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