Angelic Pasta and Shrimp Primavera

Easy, Fast and Filling...

What more could you ask for? I love to cook but sometimes I just don't feel like making a big fussy meal, especially on a weeknight after working all day. No thanks. That's why I like having quick cooking pasta like angel hair and frozen cooked shrimp on hand. You can whip up a meal in a matter of minutes with either one of these ingredients. And when paired together, you get a "heavenly" combination. That's why I'm calling it...

Angelic Pasta and Shrimp Primavera
by Mixed Salad Annie

8 oz. Angel Hair Pasta
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 pound frozen cooked shrimp, thawed
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup green beans, ends trimmed and halved
1 cup black and green olives, sliced
1 - 8 oz. jar red roasted peppers, cut in strips
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to package. In a large non-stick skillet heat oil and garlic over low heat for about 4-5 minutes until garlic is soft but not brown.

Add green beans and stir to coat with oil and garlic. Raise heat to medium-high, add wine and bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat back down to low and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add olives, red peppers, shrimp, salt and pepper and parsley. Add cooked pasta to the skillet and combine all ingredients.
Serve immediately.

I found these cute little glass mugs at the Christmas Tree Shops. At only .89 cents each, I just couldn't resist. They make for the perfect modern espresso mug. The only problem is that I don't drink espresso too often since I gave up caffeine.

As soon as I got them home I started thinking it was a stupid impulse buy. And of course it was, but I was determined to figure out what to use them for. So far I have used them in two ways. As shown above, they make a great presentation for pudding. Which by the way, is delicious with trail mix stirred in just before adding to your dessert cup or in my case petite mug.

The dried fruit in the trail mix softens and gives the pudding a great texture and flavor. I used Dr. Oetker organic vanilla pudding mix which is all natural and has no added chemicals or preservatives. I used pacific trail mix which has almonds, raisins, cranberries, pineapple, mango and papaya. I also added 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract to pump up the vanilla flavor.

Second: Perfect for individual servings of shrimp cocktail.
Again it makes a great presentation. I fit four shrimp per mug and filled the mug with tangy cocktail sauce. Cute and YUMMY!

Let me know if you have any more ideas...

Linguine with Shrimp and Lemon Oil

Flavorful and Healthy!!
What a great combination.

I love it when a recipe packs a healthy punch along with a fist full of flavor. Wow. I didn't mean to be so violently graphic, with punches and fists. HAHA. I guess this recipe just brings it out. Maybe its the tangy lemon or the peppery arugula. Whatever it is, you can thank Giada. She came through again with another winner!

Linguine with Shrimp and Lemon Oil
by Giada DiLaurentiis

For the lemon oil:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested

For the pasta:
1 pound linguine pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, diced (I used one choppe leek)
2 garlic cloves, minced
16 ounces frozen shrimp (I used cooked shrimp)
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 lemon, zested
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces arugula (about 3 packed cups)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

For the lemon oil:
Combine the olive oil and the lemon zest in a small bowl and reserve.

For the pasta:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots (or leek) and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 5 minutes. (I only heated mine through for about 2 minutes and that may have been too long.) Add the cooked linguine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Turn off the heat and add the arugula. Using a mesh sieve, strain the lemon zest out of the reserved lemon olive oil and add the oil to the pasta. The zest can be discarded. Add the chopped parsley to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve immediately.