Dinner and a Movie

My niece, Kaitlyn, and I enjoy cooking together. She is just learning – and I love being her teacher. We recently decided to welcome in the glorious warmth of Spring with an Italian inspired dinner and an Italian movie. We created this recipe on the fly, so the directions are a bit sketchy.It would be equally good by substituting cooked chicken for the shrimp.

The Dinner
Springtime Pasta
Makes 4 - 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 pound penne pasta
Shrimp (we used about 1 pound raw jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined)
1 red bell pepper, chopped (seeds and ribs removed)
1 small onion, chopped
1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
Meyer Lemon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Lemon Sea Salt,to taste
3-Lemon Pepper, to taste
1 - 2 tablespoons white wine (or stock or even water) to deglaze the pan
1 jar Artichoke Pesto or Artichoke Tapenade
6 – 10 ounces prepared Alfredo sauce
Grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons minced Italian parsley (fresh)

Method:
Sauté bell pepper and onion in Lemon Olive Oil until just translucent. Add garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Add the raw shrimp, a pinch of Lemon Sea Salt, and a pinch of 3-Lemon Pepper. Sauté until the shrimp just begin to turn pink. Deglaze the pan with a tablespoon or 2 of white wine. Simmer, reducing the liquid. Add Artichoke Pesto. Add 2/3 cup Alfredo sauce and cook over low heat until hot. Adjust seasonings as necessary.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pan and cover until sauce is done.

To serve, add sauce and 1/2 of the parsley to the pasta and toss to coat. Top with remaining parsley & parmesan cheese. If the pasta is too dry for your taste, simply add more Alfredo sauce.

Serve With:
Lemon Caesar dressing & crisp romaine lettuce (a
basic Caesar style vinaigrette made with Lemon Infused Olive Oil)
Thick slices of sour dough bread rubbed with Provencal Grapeseed Oil and grilled until medium brown
Sterling Vineyards 2005
Malvasia Bianca

The Movie and Accompaniments:
Franco Zeffirelli’s “Tea with Mussolini”
Kaitlyn’s homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Gelato (she refuses to give up her secret recipe)
Espresso with a dollop of Coffee Merlot Chocolate Sauce

Buon Appetito!

(If you have any questions regarding the directions or products used, please drop me an email at: GourmetGirl@poshgourmet.com)