cooking for one can be the worst kind of drudgery as well as providing stimulating creativity.Want to try something out that no one else you know will try? Have an evening alone and play around in the kitchen. Live by yourself and have a million things to do, are starving and don't want to spend much time cooking? Throw some stuff into a skillet and call it done. It's a chore and a de-stressing method, sometimes at the same time. I get the best of both worlds: I live alone but next door to my parents. When I want to cook for a household of people or enjoy lively dinner conversation, hey, there they are! When I want to be alone or be quiet, look, I have my own place!
Granted, there's no one in my little place to share a quiet meal with, but a little solitude is a nice thing, too. This shrimp pasta is a nice combination of delicious, comforting, and light. Add a salad, maybe a glass of wine, and there is a delightful meal for one. Double the portions, it's a romantic dinner for two (Valentine's Day is coming remarkably soon). Multiply by more and the next thing you know, you're throwing a dinner party and everyone wants to know how you managed to pull it all off. Versatility and ease is the name of the game, some days.
Shrimp Pasta
1/4 lb shrimp (or a one person serving size), cleaned, peeled, uncooked
1 oz. dried pasta (linguine or fettuccine or any long pasta you prefer)
1 large tomato or 1 can stewed tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 spring or green onion, finely chopped
Heat salted water to a boil, then add the dried pasta. This will take about 10-15 minutes to cook to your desired al dente consistency.
Pour oil and garlic into a cold skillet, then heat to medium on a slow burner. Allow the garlic to meld into the oil without crisping, about 5 minutes. Then turn up the burner to hot and add the tomatoes. If using the can, add the liquid as well. Once the tomatoes are heated through and just beginning to soften, add the white part of the onion. Reserve the green tops in your serving bowl. Then add the shrimp to the hot skillet, tossing gently. Once the pasta is a minute or so from done, drain it and add to the shrimp and tomatoes (you'll want the pasta to go in less than a minute after the shrimp, so hold off on cooking the shrimp until the appropriate time). Allow the pasta to finish cooking, then serve with some grated hard cheese, typically Parmesan.
"Be well. Do good work. Keep in touch." - Garrison Keillor
Granted, there's no one in my little place to share a quiet meal with, but a little solitude is a nice thing, too. This shrimp pasta is a nice combination of delicious, comforting, and light. Add a salad, maybe a glass of wine, and there is a delightful meal for one. Double the portions, it's a romantic dinner for two (Valentine's Day is coming remarkably soon). Multiply by more and the next thing you know, you're throwing a dinner party and everyone wants to know how you managed to pull it all off. Versatility and ease is the name of the game, some days.
1/4 lb shrimp (or a one person serving size), cleaned, peeled, uncooked
1 oz. dried pasta (linguine or fettuccine or any long pasta you prefer)
1 large tomato or 1 can stewed tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 spring or green onion, finely chopped
Heat salted water to a boil, then add the dried pasta. This will take about 10-15 minutes to cook to your desired al dente consistency.
Pour oil and garlic into a cold skillet, then heat to medium on a slow burner. Allow the garlic to meld into the oil without crisping, about 5 minutes. Then turn up the burner to hot and add the tomatoes. If using the can, add the liquid as well. Once the tomatoes are heated through and just beginning to soften, add the white part of the onion. Reserve the green tops in your serving bowl. Then add the shrimp to the hot skillet, tossing gently. Once the pasta is a minute or so from done, drain it and add to the shrimp and tomatoes (you'll want the pasta to go in less than a minute after the shrimp, so hold off on cooking the shrimp until the appropriate time). Allow the pasta to finish cooking, then serve with some grated hard cheese, typically Parmesan.
"Be well. Do good work. Keep in touch." - Garrison Keillor
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