Some wonderful friends of ours hosted Joey and me this past weekend while we were on a trip to speak to some college students.
We were treated to a great time, fabulous food and amazing company, getting to break bread with a lot of their friends while we were there.
Of course, we had to return to reality, and once we were back home late on Monday, work loomed, and our fridge was empty. Not feeling particularly sure I wanted to indulge in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich after the culinary weekend we experienced, I went to my Pinterest board to see what I could make for a quick dinner with only a dash into the grocery store.
The recipe I decided on comes from the blog “Sweet C’s” by Courtney Odell. You can find the original post at https://sweetcsdesigns.com/tuscan-shrimp-linguine/. I added seasoning in my version and subbed in asparagus instead of broccolini.
Tuscan Shrimp Linguine
Ingredients
- 1 pound linguine pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 small onion diced
- 1/2 pound fresh asparagus cut into half-inch pieces
- 10 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable stock or dry white wine
- 8 cloves garlic diced
- 1 pound uncooked shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh spinach cut into ribbons
Instructions
- Start boiling your linguine according to package directions to cook it al dente.
- While the pasta cooks, in a very large skillet, heat the olive oil and one tablespoon butter over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the onion and asparagus, and saute until they are both almost cooked through.
- Add in the tomatoes, continuing to stir until their outsides start to wrinkle a bit, and they begin to burst (you can help them out at this point by gently squishing them with your spatula).
- Add in the stock, garlic and the other tablespoon of butter, stirring to combine.
- Once the butter is melted and the stock is at a low simmer, stir in the shrimp, basil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, continuing to stir regularly until the shrimp is cooked completely (it should be a light pink and starting to curl on itself a bit).
- Stir in the cooked linguine, coating it with the sauce. Once everything is well-combined, stir in the fresh spinach, letting it wilt, and then serve immediately.
This was really tasty, and I couldn’t help but think it would be even better for those of you who will have gardens bursting with fresh veggies this summer. It was a simple, but filling, pasta that wasn’t overly seasoned, so the taste of the tomatoes and asparagus came through well.
If you’re not a shrimp person, you could easily use some pre-cooked chicken instead or just double the vegetables.
Even though I still need to do a proper grocery store trip, the bags are unpacked, the laundry is done, and the we’re back to another week of putting out the paper. But I do feel a bit lighter after this weekend.
There are few things as good for the soul as a great meal and even greater people to share it with.
This piece first appeared in print on March 7, 2024.
Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.
