Charred Lemon Penne with Shirmp

When I was a kid - I ordered spaghetti with meatballs at EVERY restaurant that we went to.  It was partially due to the fact that I was not a very adventurous eater and partly because I truly loved pasta with red sauce but mostly it was just because of the fact that I ordered the same meal at every restaurant annoyed my brother.   Pretty sure that last one was all the encouragement that I needed to continue my habit of ordering spaghetti with red sauce whenever we went out. 

I had no idea that there was a whole world of pasta sauces out there that I was missing out on by limiting myself to marinara.  Pesto, wine sauce, alfredo, butter sauce, herb sauce - I could go on and on. 

I tried my hand at a charred lemon sauce recently and we all loved it.  It was a nice light sauce with a bright burst of flavor.  Just a touch of half and half and a sprinkling of cheese kept this sauce nice and light.  A handful of fresh basil and the charred lemons gave it a nice fresh flavor.  We loved this pasta dish.

Charred Lemon Penne with Shrimp
1/2 pound cooked penne pasta
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deviened
8 ounces mushrooms, washed and sliced thin
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
2 Tablespoons oil
1Tablespoon butter
1/4 cup marsala wine
2 1/2 Tablespoons half and half
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 ounces Parmesan cheese
2 lemons, cut in half
2 Tablespoons fresh basil

Cook penne according to package directions and drain.

Place lemons, cut side down, in hot skillet.  Cook until charred.

Heat 1 T. oil and butter in skillet.  Add garlic and shallots and cook until soft.

Add mushrooms and cook until liquid is absorbed.  Remove mixture from skillet.

Heat 1 T. oil in skillet and cook shrimp until almost pink.

Add marsala and continue to cook until shrimp is opaque. 

Remove shrimp from skillet.

Combine juice from 1 lemon, half and half, red pepper flakes and half of the Parmesan cheese.

Add to skillet along with remaining marsala.  Simmer until slightly thickened.

Add pasta and toss to coat.

Add mushrooms, basil and shrimp and stir to combine.

Spoon into a bowl.  Top with remaining Parmesan cheese and serve with reserved charred lemon.

Serve.

I love this dish for summer.  It is exactly what I crave on a warm summer night. 

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