This is a quick, easy, and tasty dish, and you can substitute chicken for the shrimp.
Cook the linguine as per directions (I like whole wheat linguine); use around 3/4 of a 16-ounce box. Although I never know what to do with a quarter of a box of linguine, so I make it all and freeze half the finished meal for another time. Drain and pour into your large serving bowl, reserving up to a cup of cooking liquid.
Mix the linguine with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sun-dried tomato pesto. You want to moisten the linguine and keep it from clumping. You can use even more if you are so inclined. Set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet, add 3 large finely chopped cloves of garlic, and the shredded zest of a lemon. Sauté until softened, golden but not browned, and add a pound of large shrimp (peeled/deveined) or cubes of chicken and cook until it is almost cooked through. This will take longer for the chicken than for the shrimp, but overall should not take more than 5 or 6 minutes.
Pour in 1/2 cup of dry white wine, non-alcoholic wine, or chicken stock. Simmer this for a few more minutes, until the liquid reduces by about a third and the protein is finished. Add 3 cups of baby spinach and stir all up. You do not want totally to wilt the spinach, so just give enough time in the pan to coat the spinach with the juices. This is where the reserved cooking water comes in – if it feels too thick, pour a bit of the reserved water in and toss.
Pour the goodies from the pan (including scrapped drippings) over the linguine and enjoy! Should you make this? Yes!
This looks delicious! And not just because I finally cleaned off my laptop screen so everything looks nicer.
What is this “clean” laptop you speak of, and how can I experience such majesty and wonder?
Damned straight I’m making this!
Yippee! I had mentioned elsewhere that I made your clam sauce and was awesome!
I resemble that remark – as in unclean screens, not necessarily the cleaning thereof. I consider it a win if my eyeglasses are nice and clean.
Haha do you ever go a really long time between cleaning your glasses, and then when you finally do, you’re amazed at how clear the world is?
Brava! When we’re all properly vaccinated and the pandemic abates we will have to exchange visits. You (and Keitel) can go on a little culinary tour with me (assuming any non-chain restaurants survive) and we will visit you. We can pretend to be Michelin reviewers/evaluators, and speak quietly, and take surreptitious notes. I sometimes do this anyway, and if caught I say, “Oh, I’m having such a good time and the food is so good I want to write this down so I remember it.” Meanwhile, my notes are like, “butter sauce–oregano?”
I was once seated next to Gael Greene at a restaurant. She was the restaurant critic for New York Magazine practically since its inception and hung on until the early part of this century. I googled, she’s still alive, she’s 87. Her schtick was that she went incognito so she could offer anonymous patron, on-the-ground assessments. This was absurd. I recognized her, and I’m not in the restaurant business. She wore these comically large sunglasses (indoors, in a somewhat dimly lighted restaurant) and a large, floppy sunhat (this encounter was in February.) Everyone fawned all over her, there was no pretense, and she happily accepted this. I’d been to that restaurant before a few times and I loved it, but that night it was like I was in the first-class dining room aboard the Titanic or something. They wanted to show their best selves. I’m sure her alias for making reservations was well-known, and I’m sure the place brought in extra help. That restaurant, sadly, did not survive the pandemic but it had a good run.
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! We would love to dine with you, anywhere!!! And I will be happy to play restaurant critic with you. Your Better Half and Keitel can pretend that they do not know us. Have you figured out how you are going to explain us? I’m sure I can successfully play a random tourist upon whom you take pity (I did act in college.)
@matthewcrawley see above.
I have this all figured out. One of you went to college with me. The minute I mention dear old alma mater The Better Half completely shuts down. A minute of me reminiscing. You can chime in with, “Oh, yes, that was so much fun!” We can’t talk about my cooking, because then I’ll get the old, “How do they know so much about the food you make if we’ve never had them over and I’ve never heard of them before?” But we can talk about food in general, and why I/we like the restaurant(s) we will go to.
With any luck I’ll be unaccompanied. This sounds mean, and Life’s Helpmeet is a charming and gregarious sort, but when engaging in a FYCE undercover op it’s best if everyone is on a need-to-know basis.
Anything you want my friend, we will make it happen! @Matthewcrawley.
Looks good @Elliecoo! I’m not fond of cooked spinach but lightly wilted shouldn’t be bitter. I will be making this.
Please do report back, @Hannibal.
I will!