Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Here's something to make for lunch if you work from home like me, or for dinner if not :)

Ingredients:

5-8 large raw shrimp, shells retained
3 cloves garlic
1 lemon
Olive oil
1-2 tablespoons butter
Red pepper flakes
1/4 cup white wine
Angel hair pasta  

kosher salt & fresh ground pepper 

If your shrimp are frozen, thaw them, then peel them, saving the shells (it's where the flavor is). Dry them once they're thawed, and then salt and pepper them on both sides - set aside.

Chop the garlic - I like 3 big cloves, but I really really really like garlic - if you're not that much of a fan, drop to 1-2. 

Zest your lemon (you should really always do this even if your recipe only calls for juice - there's so many other places to use fresh zest!). Avoid zesting off fingernails. Ahem. 

Juice the lemon next, and filter out the seeds, set aside.

Get two pans - one saucepan to cook the pasta, one fry pan for the shrimp. Set the pasta water on, and put the fry pan on medium high.

Add a glug of olive oil, and a bit of butter once the pan is hot, then add the garlic. Toss in the red pepper flakes, however much you can stand, then the shrimp and the shells. 

Cook until just pink, then add in the white wine, and most of the lemon juice. Reduce the wine/lemon juice for a moment, then turn the heat off. Take the shells out at this point, and toss them.

The pasta water should be boiling by this time, so put in your angel hair and stir while it cooks - should only be about 4 minutes, so don't wander off. Taste it to see if it's done. 

Once it's done, add the rest of the butter, stir, and then add to the pan of shrimp. Turn the heat back on to medium to get everything mixed in, and then give it a taste. Add salt & pepper, and lemon zest to taste. 

Enjoy!