Lenten Recipe: Shrimp and Olive Pasta

Filed in archive Cheese , Recipes , Seafood , Traditions on February 27, 2009

For those who observe the Lenten season, try the
Shrimp and Olive Pasta with Wisconsin Parmesan Cheese, featuring fresh asparagus (usher in springtime!), olives and shrimp in a white wine sauce, tossed with rotini pasta and grated Parmesan cheese, courtesy of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. Here goes:

Ingredients:

1 pound large raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1-1/2 cups onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (16 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup fresh asparagus, diced
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup black olives, halved
1 pound rotini pasta, cooked and drained
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) Wisconsin Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, julienned
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cooking Directions:
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook shrimp in 2 tablespoons of oil for about 3 minutes or until opaque, stirring often. Remove shrimp from skillet; set aside.

In same skillet, cook onions and garlic in remaining oil for 3 minutes.

Add tomatoes, asparagus and wine; heat to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 5 minutes. Add cooked shrimp and olives; heat through.

In a large bowl, gently combine pasta, shrimp-vegetable mixture, cheese, parsley, basil, salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers.
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I love this recipe because you can serve well beforehand, keep it in the fridge until you're ready to serve. Also perfect as a side dish for summer barbecues. If you're not convinced about combining seafood and cheese, you could always omit the shrimps, I suppose. This recipe serves 10.