Recipe: Lemon Shrimp with Curly Pasta

LEMON SHRIMP WITH CURLY PASTA

"This is one of our favorite weekday dinners - fast, easy, and scrumptious. The brown sugar mellows out fresh lemon's zing, but still leaves a bright taste. Use any curly or short pasta for this dish. These types of pasta catch the chunky sauce better than long, thin spaghetti strands. We're big on salads, so serve the pasta with mixed greens and watercress tossed with marinated artichoke hearts."

1 pound raw, shell-on, medium shrimp (41/50 per pound)
3/4 pound corkscrew pasta
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups minced green onions, including tops
1/4 cup olive oil

Peel shrimp, devein, if desired. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions.
In a large bowl, stir together lemon zest and juice, garlic, sugar, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, green onions, and olive oil. Add shrimp and toss to coat.
Heat a large, heavy skillet on medium-low heat until hot, about 4 minutes. Add shrimp mixture, cover, and cook until center of shrimp turns almost white, 3 to 4 minutes. Makes 3 cups sauce.
Divide warm pasta among 4 bowls and top with shrimp and sauce.

VARY IT!
Toasted pine nuts, roasted red peppers, and asparagus tips are tantalizing additions to the pasta.

Makes 4 main course servings
Source: Seafood Cooking For Dummies by Leslie Bloom and Marcie Ver Ploeg