Lemon Pasta and the discovery of Tequila Lime Butter

Hello loves! hope you have not gone too hungry in my absence. Life has been a whirlwind of events….but all that matters is, I am here, now to share with you my latest culinary adventure!

Tonight, I had a date with my roomie, to convene in our living room/diningroom over some wine, food and good convo. How much I appreciate this downtime after seeming months of a life-prohibitive work schedule.

I wanted to make something tasty, but light, as I know roomie is not into rich, heavy meals, and I landed upon the idea of a Lemon Pasta after reading some blogs. I researched a bit and below is what I came up with, inspired by many different recipes.

To top the pasta, i picked up some shrimp and happend to see this lovely little tub labeled “Tequila Lime Butter”. How freaking delicious does that sound?? It seemed perfect for shrimp, so i took it home with me.

Ingredients

Sauce:

• zest of 2-3 lemons
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3 Tb butter
• approx 2 tsp salt
• dash black pepper

Other

• 1 lb pasta (I used farfalle, but any kind will do)
• 1 cup thawed sweet peas
• 5-8 basil leaves – chiffonaded
• lemon zest for garnishing

Shrimp

• 8-10 medium shrimp
• 2 TB tequila lime butter
• Salt to season

1. cook dat pasta – heat up a pot full of water with some salt. add pasta when boiling and cook to al dente (about 5-7 min)

2. Zest your lemons into a bowl

I finally got a microplane grater. it is The Shit for zesting! look at that finely zested lemon zest! essential oils here we come!

3.  Make dat Sauce – in a saucepan on med-low heat, cook butter & cream until melted. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, salt. add more lemon or salt to taste. Turn off heat and keep warm.

4. Drain pasta when finished. Return to pot. Add the lemon sauce, chiffonaded basil, salt & pepper to taste. Stir to distribute. Add sweet peas and stir again. Keep warm

5. Cook the shrimp. Heat a pan on med-hi and add butter. As it is starting to brown, add the shrimp. Cook about 2 min a side, flipping in between. Season with salt/pepper.Shrimp should be just turning opaque when done. remove from heat.

6. Get ready to eat! Add some pasta on a plate, top with some shrimpies, garnish with more chiffonaded basil. Serve with some wine/bread and celebrate your victory over this meal!

 

The lemon past had just the right amount of lemon tartness, mellowed out by a touch of creame. I had some fresh parmesan that would have done quite well with this dish, but i totally forgot to add it! And we really did not even need extra cheese.

The tequila lime butter was fantastic. Imparted just a touch of flavor without overwhelming in salt or fat. Definite recommended “splurge” at 2.99 for a small tub.

 

Enjoy the cooking and eating!

Kim