Home is where....

Love my girl!

Home is where Mom is... As my daughter posted this weekend on social media.  She came home for fall break and we had a packed weekend from tailgating with our peeps to a birthday dinner for my husband's mother.  And while she was home we dropped her off to see her best friend from high school best for the night at our old Alma Mater, that came with a return trip to pick her up18 hours later.  Felt a bit nostalgic driving around the campus.  

And while we all know home is where mom is, in our house home is also where Dad asks "what do you want special for dinner?  The reply was "that shrimp dish with the arugula and pasta".  No problem!  This dish has been a Lenten favorite as the kids call it, so we haven't made it in awhile.  It has all of the kids favorites in one dish - pasta and shrimp, and from our favorite Italian chef Giada.

Dad and his little Girl

 

 

Our local college team versus the Nations #1 Team

We served this with Roasted Brussels Sprouts that were tossed with some diced red onion and diced pancetta.  The roasting in pretty easy with this dish and makes a great aside dish.   Trim the sprouts and place them on a foil lined cookie sheet.  Toss with some olive oil,  1/4 cup chopped red onion and 2 oz. of diced pancetta.  Sprinkle with sea salt and roast in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. 

 

 

 

Linguine with Shrimp and Lemon Oil

Ingredients

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

2 garlic cloves, minced

16 ounces frozen 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

Directions

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 and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 5 minutes. 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 some of the cooking water to desired consistency. Add the chopped parsley to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

 

Brussels Sprouts with red onion and pancetta