* my adaptation of Giada De Laurentiis Recipe for Linguine with shrimp and lemon oil *

This is dish is something special that I make, that my beau absolutely loves. This is coming from a guy who wasn’t much of a seafood and veggie eater before he met yours truly. The first time I made this dish was Valentine’s Day 2011. I wanted to make a romantic fancy meal without the super messy kitchen and possibility of it being a total epic fail. It has been a keeper since then. Unfortunately, my oldest daughter has a fish and seafood allergy so I can not vouch this one for being a “bundle of mayhem approved” meal. This meal pairs great with some white wine, candle light, and ambient music to set the tone for a date night in. It can be easily doubled and not to mention it also makes AMAZING leftovers!

 

Ingredients

To make the lemon oil you will need:

• 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large lemon, zested

To make the pasta you will need:

• 1 box of Linguine Pasta (1 pound)
• 1 tablespoon of mince garlic
• 16 ounces of shrimp (uncooked, cleaned and deveined)
• 1/4 cup of lemon juice (fresh squeezed not bottled. You will need about 2 good size lemons or more depending on the size of the lemons you purchase)
• 1 lemon zested
• Steamed Broccoli, fresh spinach, or fresh Arugula  (whatever you like veggie wise)

Instructions

Lemon Oil:

This needs to be done in advance. I usually do it the night before but it can be done a few hours ahead. If you do it the night before the oil will extract the most flavor from the lemon zest. If it is done a few hours before, the oil will have a slight less present lemon flavor. Also you can add more or less zest depending on your taste profile.

In a small container (I use one that has a lid, if you don’t have one just cover a bowl with plastic wrap). Combine the oil and lemon zest. Cover and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to bowl over high heat. Be sure to add a little drizzle of olive oil to the water to prevent the noodles from sticking.

Your shrimp should already be completely thawed out and clean. You will need a large skillet. You can either drizzle the pan with some olive oil, use a little butter, or spray non-stick spray (whatever your preference is). Heat the pan, add the shrimp and season to your liking.

I usually cook the shrimp during the last few minutes (last 6 minutes) of the pasta being al dente because shrimp cooks pretty fast.

This is also a good time to steam the broccoli if you are using broccoli. I prefer the steam in bag veggies because this mama is lazy.

Add in zest from 1 lemon while the shrimp is cooking. 

Cook the shrimp until it is pink and there is no more grey/white showing

Once pasta is done, drain and return it to the pot. Add shrimp, oil, and toss in the green aspect of your choice.

Don’t forget the salt and pepper!

Sometimes I add in a little more lemon zest after everything has been combined because my beau really loves lemon. I serve this in a large bowl or on a large plate with bread sticks or just some good old Texas toast.

That’s it! Not too complicated right? I hope you enjoy this easy to make pasta dish!