Prioritizing cooking at home is really important to me. Just after my first child was born, we signed a purchase agreement on a darling house on six acres in a town about 35 minutes (without traffic!) from the TV station where I work. It was idyllic, well priced and filled with character (although those of us nutty old house people know “character” really means “things that will break and cost a lot to fix”).
But when we really took a hard look at our everyday lives and the jobs we love in the city, it became clear that the commute would be too much for us to handle. As would the maintenance of acreage. Cooking dinner at home most nights is one of my top priorities and adding a long drive into our day would make that nearly impossible.
So we garden, raise chickens and make homemade meals in the city instead. I shared extensively about my philosophy on the food we bring into our home on the latest episode of my podcast. It’s called Best To The Nest and episode 427 details the choices I make and why those decisions are so important.
During that conversation, I also discuss why simplifying meals makes such a huge difference when it comes to getting dinner on the table. Meals with fewer (but better!) ingredients and only one or two pans to wash lead to smaller grocery bills and less risk of burnout when faced with the daily question of “what’s for dinner?”
Simple, delicious pasta dishes are a big help in this effort and they are easy to tailor to the season. This Spring Shrimp Pasta features a creamy sauce that feels cozy on cold nights but also delivers the brightness of lemon and fresh herbs that I start to crave as the days get longer.
I shared this recipe on Minnesota Live this week and I hope you love it!
Spring Shrimp Pasta with Peas, Herbs & Lemon
Gather this:
- 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp minced shallot
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb long pasta such as linguini or spaghetti (I prefer Italian made pasta such as Bionaturae)
- 10 ounces heavy cream (if you’re getting cream at the store, I love Kalona Supernatural)
- 1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
- 8 oz frozen peas
- 1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
- Optional: fresh herbs to garnish (any combination of parsley, chives, mint and dill will be delicious) and/or microgreens
Do this:
DEMO:
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the butter and the olive oil. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. When the fat is heated and bubbling, add the shrimp in one layer. Cook for about 4 minutes on the first side and flip, cooking another two minutes until opaque. Don’t overcook the shrimp – err on the side of slightly underdone as it will continue to cook in the final dish.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt and add the pasta.
Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside. Add the shallots and the garlic to the pan, adding a splash of water to loosen the fond on the bottom of the pan. Sweat the shallots and onion for 2-3 minutes. Then add the heavy cream. Turn the heat down slightly and season with more salt and pepper. Reduce the cream while the pasta cooks.
Pull the pasta from the pot with tongs and add it into the cream sauce. Alternatively, drain the pasta into a colander, reserving about 1/4 cup pasta water to add to the sauce. Add the peas and the shrimp and toss together so the peas defrost and the shrimp warms back up.
After about 3 minutes, turn off the heat and add the lemon zest, parmesan and herbs to the dish. Check for seasonings and serve.