I read about this combination of flavors in an Italian cooking magazine while I was in Italy a couple of years ago. Intrigued by the simple mixture of pistachios, tender shrimp and garlic I decided to give it a whirl. The crunch and buttery flavor of the pistachios works well with the tender shrimp, lemon zest and thinly sliced garlic. Tossed with watercress for a bit of color along with lemon juice and zest for an added ‘pop’ of flavor, this simple pasta is colorful, unique and comes together in mere minutes.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Lemony Spaghetti with Shrimp, Garlic & Pistachios
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. angel hair pasta
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 lb. shrimp, peeled & deveined
- Salt and pepper
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 2 lemons
- ½ cup chicken, vegetable or seafood broth
- 4 cups watercress
- ½ cup pistachios, shelled
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the angel hair according to the package directions, until al dente. Drain and place in a large mixing bowl.
- In the meantime, heat the oil, butter, pepper flakes and garlic over medium heat. Cook for 1 minute. Add in the shrimp and season with ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add in the lemon zest as well. Cook the shrimp for 3-4 minutes or until tender and pink. Reduce the heat to low and add in the lemon juice and broth. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Toss the cooked pasta with the shrimp mixture, along with all of the liquid. Adjust the seasonings if necessary. Toss in the pistachios and watercress. Serve warm with a sprinkling of cheese.
Tagged: angel hair, butter, garlic, Italian, lemon, lemon zest. shrimp, pasta, pistachios, shrimp pasta, watercress
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