Thursday, March 25, 2021

Spaghettini with shrimp and lemon #recipe #shrimp





 From Mary Jane Maffini 

Have you ever had one of those days when you were counting on take-out (or going out if that was possible) and something went very very wrong? Pear-shaped as they say in the UK.  Recently our hopes were dashed for our favorite take-out meal of seafood linguine when the restaurant was closed.  Wah!

We would have had breakfast for dinner (bacon and eggs), except we’d already had breakfast for breakfast.  Well, as admitted 'pantsers' we decided to try to duplicate the dish.  We had frozen shrimp but no other seafood, and spaghettini but no linguine.  No biggie! We always have some kind of pasta, olive oil, lemon, parsley, garlic, paprika and green onions around here. And Parmesan cheese in various forms.  So we thought we could pull the rabbit out of the hat.  We took pictures in case it turned out well enough to use on Mystery Lovers Kitchen.

Here’s what we managed:


Ingredients: 

1 pound frozen peeled shrimp, thawed under cold water (or whatever seafood you can find in your freezer)

2 tablespoons olive oil (give or take)

1 or more tablespoon butters (optional but we like it)

Juice and rind of one lemon

3 green onions, white and green, sliced

3 cloves garlic minced

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tsp sugar

¼ tsp hot paprika

½ pound spaghettini

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese (we had powdered and shredded. We mixed them in and ladled them on)

 

Directions:

Cook spaghettini al dente (about 8 minutes)  Remember to take pictures, because obviously we forgot.

Chop green onions. I always find them quite beautiful! 


Heat oil  and butter in heavy pan.  


Sauté green onions over medium heat until soft and fragrant, about 4 minutes.  Add garlic and cook another two minutes. Add shrimp, sugar, paprika and cook until shrimp is pink.  Add S & P, lemon and parsley.


Drain pasta, saving a bit of water to add to sauce if that the way you roll. It is the way we roll.  The little mister likes to add a bit of parsley to pasta and sometimes a bit of butter. I think that’s what he did when I wasn’t looking, so try to imagine that step.



Add shrimp and sauce from pan to pasta along with Parmesan cheese, however much you like. We never measure.  Mix well and eat up.

We enjoyed our dinner and will make it again soon. We might even pants it up a bit more. What about you? Got any recipes you’ve ‘reinvented’ after trying them in a restaurant?



Mary Jane Maffini is the award-winning author of three and a half mystery series: the Camilla Maffini mysteries, the Fiona Silk capers and the Charlotte Adams mysteries – number six coming soon!  The Charlotte Adams books have recently been optioned for television films. Details to come when they can be made public. With her daughter Victoria Maffini, MJ collaborated on The Book Collector Mysteries as Victoria Abbott. Victoria Abbott spent several happy years on Mystery Lovers Kitchen. MJ  is very glad to be back and Victoria is waving at you all!


Don't forget to check out MJ's Canadian books:  Camilla MacPhee features a fortyish widowed lawyer who runs an advocacy agency for victims of violent crime, in Ottawa, Canada's capital city. Life would be easier if she didn't have the world's worst office assistant, the world's bossiest sisters and, arguably, the world's greatest stubborn streak. If you like your mysteries a bit edgy with a side order of humor, these could be for you.  


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2 comments:

  1. That does sound like a true winner.
    Well done!
    "We might even pants it up a bit more." What would that look like?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is mysterious, isn't it, Libby? Thanks for coming by!

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