Anyways, Monday night I tried. And the following is how is a recap...
What I used:
A dozen or so large shrimp (this was for two, they were small so it was more like 20 - I normally would only consume 4-5 large ones myself)
1 Small yellow onion
A couple cloves of garlic
Fresh Parsley
White Wine
Clam Juice
Lemon/Lemon Juice
Papardelle
How to:
I started by sauteing the pressed garlic and the very finely diced onion over medium/high heat with some salt and pepper and dried oregano. Once it was nicely sauteed (translucent) I added the shrimp which had been marinating for just a few minutes in lemon juice (half the large lemon that I had on hand). I pushed my garlic/onion mixture to the edges of the saute pan and let the shrimp cook in the middle. Once the shrimps were pink on both sides I added a nice pour - equal parts I'd say - of white wine and clam juice.I happened to have a bottle of clam juice around because I like adding it to seafood sauces for flavor, but if you don't have clam juice that's fine just add a bit more wine. In total about a cup of liquid. . A little more salt and pepper to taste and then I let it simmer and reduce on medium heat. I added more clam juice and white wine when the shrimp/sauce had thickened a little and let it simmer another 5 minutes or so. Making sauces like these is really not an exact science - it's just something you have to play with a few times until you get the hang of it. One good tip though is to add in small quantities and add in layers. For instance, don't put all of the wine you want to use in at once, add a little, let it simmer, add a little more etc. Same with seasonings. You can always add more later, but you can't take it out!!
While this was happening I was simultaneously cooking up my pasta (that night I was using the rest of some egg papardelle I had in my pantry from TJ's) as well as steaming some big kale leaves. After steaming to perfection I added just a tiny bit of salt and pepper and a small squeeze of lemon juice to the kale. When my pasta was al dente I tossed it in the sauce, keeping some of that starchy water on the noodles, and let it all toss/marinate together for a minute or two with the heat turned off. This allows the pasta to absorb some of the sauce and actually makes the sauce a bit richer. At this point I also added in a palm full of freshly chopped parsley. That bit of fresh greenery brightens any dish and adds one more flavor component that kinda kicks it up a notch (any Emeril fan's out there?? Is he even on TV anymore...?)
I served it up nice and hot alongside the kale for a very filling yet pretty light dinner. This time I didn't add any butter to the sauce (I am giving myself a pat on the back for restraining) and the shrimp of course were delicate as the protein focal point of the evening. All in all I would recommend this concoction next time you are in the mood for a lemony/winey/shrimpy/Dahliciousy pasta meal!
