Sitting in a breakfast joint in Wilmington NC at the moment (Saturday). I had a different plan for this week’s blog but when I packed my bag yesterday (Friday) I thought don’t forget to grab your laptop and guess what I forgot so here we are. Using my phone is not ideal for this so bear with me.
I am in NC trying to coordinate something’s for my Mom who is currently in a rehab facility waiting to be strong enough from a few strokes to make the trip back to NH. She could sure use some positive vibes and good juju at this point.

I am sharing this recipe from when I originally shared it back in 2019. It comes together easily with a few ingredients which is much appreciated when one needs a little assistance to get something on the table that also tastes great!

Ingredients

Kosher salt
1 lb. dried linguine
1 lemon
2 lb. extra-large (26 to 30 per pound) shrimp, peeled and deveined
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs unsalted butter
3 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
8 ounce mascarpone cheese
2 Tbs thinly sliced chives or scallions

Directions

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the linguine in the boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve about 3/4 cup of the cooking water and then drain the pasta.

finely grate 1-1/4 tsp. of zest from the lemon and squeeze 2 Tbs. of juice. Toss the shrimp with 1/2 tsp. of the zest and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper.

In a 12-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium heat until the foam subsides. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic just begins to brown, about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and cook until just opaque, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and lemon juice, bring to a boil, and cook until slightly reduced, 1 minute.

Add the drained pasta, mascarpone, and 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Toss well, adding more cooking water as needed, until the pasta and shrimp are coated and the sauce looks creamy. Remove from the heat. Toss in the remaining 3/4 tsp. lemon zest and the chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve

Another excellent recipe adapted from Fine Cooking