Take two of BGSK’s Pasta with Saffron, Shrimp & Peas, pictured below without peas (’cause I forgot to buy them). This time, I also put in a little extra effort and made my own shrimp stock to use in the sauce in place of pasta water. Totally recommended – shrimp stock is super easy to whip up and adds a ton of additional flavor, and if you make too much it can easily be frozen in cubes for later use.
Basic Shrimp Stock:
Saute shrimp shells in a touch of olive oil to “pinken” them up a little, then add cold water to cover (it looks a little like a shrimp massacre, hence the lack of photo). Bring to a boil, and then lower heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes. Reserve the liquid, and toss all the solids.
Tip: You can play around with your stock by adding some or all of the following: chopped onions, carrots, celery, basil, parsley, and a halved lemon. Just saute the vegetables for a few minutes along with the shrimp shells to soften them before adding water to cover.
It also turned out that I’d bought way too much spinach for the pasta recipe, so I turned the leftovers into the easiest salad ever: just baby spinach leaves, goat cheese, and chopped walnuts tossed in a light lemon dressing.
Lemon Dressing:
In a small bowl, whisk together the juice from 1 lemon with about 1/4 cup olive oil (use less lemon if you don’t like your dressing too tart), and salt and pepper to taste.
