Lemon-Garlic Pasta with Marscapone and Shrimp

It's not very often that I find myself with an extra tub of mascapone in the fridge, but that's exactly the (random) situation that inspired me to try this dish... And I am SO glad I did.

Healthy, it's not, but oh, so delicious!

I cannot recommend this highly enough. It is easy enough for a weeknight, but fancy enough for guests. I used a a bag of "argentian" shrimp from Trader Joe's -- a variety that claimed to taste like lobster -- and it proved to be a perfect choice. So succulent they melted in your mouth!

I have to thank Jose at Pink Parsley for the recipe. I followed it to a T, except that I subbed penne for liguini (due to my boyfriend's aversion to long pasta).

It makes me proud to pass it on. enjoy!


Lemon-Garlic Pasta with Mascapone and Shrimp
(from Pink Parsley)

• kosher salt
• 8 oz dried pasta
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbs butter
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced into rings
• 1/8 to 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
• 2 Tbs minced fresh chives
• lemon slices, for serving

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to boil.  Add the linguine and cook until just al dente, 7 to 8 minutes.  Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta wat

Meanwhile, pat the shrimp dry and toss with half the lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.

In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, melt the butter until the foaming subsides.  Add the shallot, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring continuously, until the garlic is just turning brown, about 1 minute.  Add the shrimp and cook about 90 seconds on one side.  Turn the shrimp, reduce the heat to medium, and add the white wine and half the lemon juice.

Bring to a boil and cook about 1 minute.  Add the mascarpone, reserved pasta water, and linguine, and toss to coat.  Cook an addtional 1-2 minutes, or until the pasta is well coated and the sauce has thickened.  Mix in the remaining lemon zest and juice, and the chives.  Season with additional salt and pepper if necessary, and serve immediately with lemon slices.