The depiction of conversation in a beauty shop portrayed in the movie “Steel Magnolias” feels very real to me. Just last week I was having my hair cut by my favorite stylist. Those of us in the salon at the time had a spirited discussion of “the busiest time of the year.”
The unanimous opinion was the weeks from Easter to the end of school. At this time baseball is in full tilt, seniors are completing projects and counting college acceptances, kindergarteners are visiting “real school,” plans are being made about camps and summer vacations; reservations are being made for those vacations.
How many times on a “school night” have you come in, opened the fridge and said, “What in the world can I do quickly for supper before we go to soccer, baseball, school meeting, church meeting” ... you fill in the blank.
As parents, we want to give our children nutritious meals and have family dinners. However, life gets in the way. After missing family meals, we feel we've let our family down. These feelings spiral into a constant cycle of guilt. Are you ready to jump off this hamster wheel?
What if I told you a shrimp pasta dinner could go fridge to table in half an hour. To begin, make sure all the component parts are in your pantry and fridge. I realize this takes a bit of planning, but it is worth is. The invaluable piece of this grocery list is a one-pound bag of frozen shrimp, available at several grocery stores in town for only $ 5. These shrimp are often wild-caught Gulf shrimp.
I keep a couple of these bags in my freezer all the time. These shrimp will thaw in a bowl of cold water in about 25 minutes. The bag of shrimp can be placed in a bowl of cold water in the morning - in the refrigerator. This way they will be thawed by suppertime. They can be a delicious quick addition to a dip, entree or soup.
If seafood isn't a favorite in your house, there is a failsafe alternative at the grocery store - rotisserie chicken. How I wish this chicken had been around when I was rushing through the end of school with my son. Rotisserie chickens can fill a host of recipes. More about them another day. Just cut up the chicken and substitute chicken for shrimp.
I will outline this recipe in steps to keep in within the half hour parameter.
School Night Shrimp Pasta
(Serves 4 generously)
• 1 lb. shrimp, peeled
• 2 T. olive or canola oil
• 1 T. chopped fresh garlic
• 1/4 c. white wine
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 4 T. cold butter, diced
• 2 T. green onions
• 2 T. fresh parsley
• 1 pound linguini, angel hair, or another shape of pasta
• Parmesan cheese
1. Place the unopened bag of frozen shrimp under cold running water. Turn the bag often, breaking up the frozen shrimp.
2. Prepare the pasta by package directions. Reserve. *****
3. Cut up the garlic, butter, green onions and parsley. Doing this preparation is called "mise en place," or everything in place. By the way, the recipe can be totally prepared up to this point and help in the refrigerator.
4. In a skillet, place the oil and chopped fresh garlic. Be so very careful not to let the garlic burn. Then add the shrimp. If the shrimp are not 100% thawed, but are at least beginning to soften, go ahead and put the shrimp into the skillet. Turn them often. There will be juices in the skillet.
5. Pour the white wine into the skillet along with the red pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer.
6. Drop the cold-diced butter into the sauce one piece at a time and stir in quickly. The butter will begin to thicken the sauce. Taste the sauce for seasoning and add salt as needed.
7. Pour the sauce over the pasta and begin to toss. Add the green onions and parsley and continue to toss. Parmesan cheese can be added and tossed in as well.
A few notes about following the recipe to the letter..... if you don't have parsley, don't worry. Use what you have. If you don't have Parmesan cheese, use Romano. Remember, recipes are just a road map. There are many different roads that lead to the same place.
****Drain the pasta over a bowl and reserve it. If the pasta seems too dry, add a bit of pasta water to help thin the sauce.
This recipe can be doubled successfully.
Fran Ginn is former chef/owner of The Back Door Café, who retired after 31 years in the food industry to be a grandmother. She can be contacted at fran@franginn.com.
