Pasta Primavera with Shrimp ("A la Christian")
My son, Christian, was so proud of his efforts when he helped me make this dish at age 10, that he dubbed it “A la Christian” (pronounced Chris-SZON). We’ve called it that ever since.
INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ cup (about 6 oz) baby carrots, trimmed
2 cups (about 7 oz) sugar snap peas, trimmed
3 cups (about 8 oz) uncooked penne pasta
1 Tablespoon olive oil
32 or so (about 8 oz) medium shrimp, peeled
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup chicken broth
⅓ cup whipping cream
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
¼ cup (1 oz) Parmesan
⅓ cup chopped parsley
PROCEDURE:
Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in pasta pot. Add carrots and let them simmer for 1 ½ minutes. Add sugar snaps and simmer for another minute. (Vegetables should be tender-crisp.) Don’t drain the water; use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables to a bowl. Now cook the pasta in the boiling water according to the package directions. Drain pasta well.
Heat the oil in 12” skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook about 30 seconds. Add carrots, peas, salt, pepper and garlic and continue cooking for another minute, stirring often.
Stir in the chicken broth, scraping the pan to loosen any browned bits. Stir in the cream and lemon juice and cook for 1 minute. Add the pasta and grated cheese, stirring well to coat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley. Serves 4-6.