Linguini with Shrimp and Lemon Oil

Last night I decided to try another recipe by Giada DeLaurentis of Everyday Italian on the Food Network channel. I find the show so distracting because they always have her wearing these low cut tops that emphasize her boobs. I think when the show started they were trying to capture the male demographic but I don't think it worked because almost all of recipe reviews come from married women with kids. While her recipes are simple they some times lack flavor but this recipe garnered my attention because it had everything good in one dish: carbs, protein, and greens.

It's easy, simple, fresh and clean. The lemon and arugula add freshness and zing. It's perfect for a warm night and has the added bonus of taking fewer than 30 minutes. With the addition of one ingredient and reduction of another, I found this recipe to be totally faboo!

Serves 4
Cooking Time: less than 30 minutes

Ingredients
Lemon Oil
-1/2 cup olive oil (I only used 1/4 cup)
-1 lemon, zested

Pasta
-1 pound linguine pasta
-2 tablespoons olive oil (I used the equivalent amount of butter)
-2 shallots, diced
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-16 ounces frozen shrimp
-1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
-1 lemon, zested
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
-3 ounces arugula (about 3 packed cups -- use more)
-1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation
For the lemon oil:
Combine the olive oil and the lemon zest in a small bowl and reserve. I used 1/4 cup and it was perfect. I think 1/2 c would be make the dish way too greasy. Ugh.

For the pasta:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet warm the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked linguine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Turn off the heat and add the arugula. Using a mesh sieve, strain the lemon zest out of the reserved lemon olive oil and add the oil to the pasta. The zest can be discarded. Add the chopped parsley to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

My Notes
Saute the garlic and shallots in butter instead of oil. It smells great and adds a different flavor.

Throw in the shrimp frozen.

Salt is key. Cook the pasta in salt and add it to the shrimp. The lemon juice really reduces the saltiness so you have to make up for it by adding more. The dish will be a little bland if not well salted. Also, the lemon juice is key. My friend and I were so eager to eat we plated the food and then noticed the lemon juice on the side so we dumped the food back into the pan, threw in the lemon juice, and tossed again! Funny. We thought the recipe could do with more arugula. It really does wilt into nothing so I would say add twice as much, say 6 cups.

Add freshly grated Parmesan and you have perfection in one pan.