Meyer Lemon Shrimp Pasta

Miss F is obsessed with shrimp, she can nearly devour an entire pound on her own. Whenever C isn't home for dinner, she usually requests that I make shrimp. I had originally planned to bake shrimp with lemon and have green beans on the side, but when I picked her up from dance class, she requested pasta. Luckily I had a package of spaghetti on hand, so Meyer Lemon Shrimp Pasta was born. This meal comes together incredibly quickly, I picked Miss F up at 5 pm from dance class and by 5:30 pm we were seated at the table having dinner. This was entirely possible because of Fasta Pasta and such an easy sauce.

Meyer Lemon Shrimp Pasta

12 ounces thin spaghetti
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ pound green beans, chopped
¾ cup cream
¼ cup chicken broth
Juice from ½ a Meyer lemon
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Prepare the spaghetti per package instructions, drain and set aside.

While the spaghetti is cooking, heat the butter over medium-high heat in a skillet. Add the shrimp and green beans, sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, turning the shrimp half way through the cooking time and stirring the green beans. In a two cup measure, stir together the cream, broth, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pour over the shrimp and toss well to coat completely. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low, simmering for 1 to 2 minutes more. Add the spaghetti and toss with the sauce, shrimp and green beans. Serve.

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Pork Loin with Wine and Herb Gravy

I always buy a pork loin when it goes on super sale and break it down into two or three pieces to freeze for later.  This pork cooks up beautifully and couldn't be easier.  I served Miss F's without the gravy, but I may have eaten her portion.  It was delicious, especially spooned over mashed potatoes.  Be sure to allow the pork to rest while you prepare the gravy, I just throw a piece of aluminum foil over top and get to whisking.  This recipe was heavily adapted from Seasons & Suppers.

Pork Loin with Wine and Herb Gravy

¼ cup olive or vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and slice in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped
¼ cup fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped
2 pound pork loin
1 ½ cups dry white wine, divided
½ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons corn starch
¼ cup water
½ cup heavy cream

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, sauté the garlic, rosemary and sage for about one minute. Add the pork to the pan and sauté it 5 minutes per side, then remove it to a plate. Add 1 ¼ cups of the wine to the pan to deglaze it, use a spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, cook for 2 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low and return the pork to the pan. Cook for 45 to 60 minutes, flipping the pork every 20 minutes. Add ¼ cup of water if the pan gets too dry. When the pork has reached 150 degrees, remove to a plate, cover with foil and let rest while the gravy is prepared. Use the remaining ¼ cup wine to deglaze the pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken broth and stir well. Whisk together the corn starch and water, stir into the pot whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the cream, salt and pepper to taste. Slice the pork and serve with the gravy over top.

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Short Rib Pappardelle

I wanted to make a favorite dish for Valentine's Day. One of the most favorite foods I make is what Miss F calls "More Meat."  I have made it with pasta before and it is also a hit.  I decided to ramp it up a bit for Valentine's and make homemade pappardelle pasta, which might just be the perfect vehicle for the braised short rib deliciousness.  Miss F is usually my faithful assistant when rolling out fresh pasta, but this pasta may have been a bit much for the two of us to work on together.  I sent her off to play and completed the pasta on my own.  This meal was entirely worth the effort!

Short Rib Pappardelle

1 ½ pounds boneless short ribs
1 28 ounce can crushed tomato
1 can tomato paste
¼ cup red wine
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt

2 ½ cups all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons (or more) water

Place the short ribs in a crockpot. Stir together the tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, sugar, oregano and salt together and pour over the short ribs. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove the meat and shred with two forks and return to the sauce.

Place the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse for 5 seconds. Whisk together the eggs, yolks and water in a 2 cup measure. Pour the egg mixture through the feed tub with the processor running until a sticky dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes. Divide the dough into two balls and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 45 minutes.

Set the pasta machine to the widest setting. Flatten one ball of dough into a 3-inch wide rectangle. Run through the machine 5 times, then reduce the setting of the machine. Run through the machine 5 times more and reduce the setting of the machine. Keep reducing until the dough is abut 26 inches long. Cut crosswise into 3 equal pieces, run each through the machine until it is 14 inches long. Repeat the process with the second dough ball. Let the strips stand 30 minutes. Fold each strip in half so that the short ends meet, and then in half again. Cut into 2/3 inch wide pappardelle.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the pasta for 2 to 3 minutes and toss immediately with the meat sauce.

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