Shrimp Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese

Shrimp with Sun-Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese

Sometimes I find myself in a dinnertime pinch even with careful planning and organization. I whipped up this quick pantry dinner on an evening when I discovered at 5 p.m. that my intended dish was supposed to marinate for at least 8 hours. Note to self: Always, always read the entire recipe and preferably do so more than 5 minutes before the cooking is to commence. Oops. After taking a quick inventory of the pantry and freezer, we had this shrimp pasta on the table about 20 minutes later.

1/2 pound fusilli
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Zest of 1 large lemon
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 oz. creamy goat cheese
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions for al dente (about 12 minutes for fusilli). Reserve 1/2 cup of the hot cooking water and set aside. Drain pasta into a colander, drizzle a touch of olive oil over the top to prevent sticking and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat the tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add the red pepper flakes and the lemon zest and cook for another minute. Add the white wine to the pan and turn the heat up to high. When the mixture is vigorously boiling, add the shrimp in one layer. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper and continue cooking until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Once shrimp is fully cooked, remove the skillet from the heat. Do not overcook the shrimp or they will become rubbery.
Place the goat cheese in the bottom of a large serving bowl. Add about half of the reserved pasta cooking water and allow the heat to soften the cheese a bit, stirring to help it soften. Add the hot pasta to the bowl and stir to coat the pasta with the goat cheese sauce. If the goat cheese still isn’t melted, add the rest of the hot cooking water at this time. Add the shrimp mixture, including all the accumulated juices. Continue stirring until the goat cheese is melted and evenly distributed. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and parsley and toss. Serve hot.
Quick Tips
1. You can use any short pasta. I happened to have fusilli on hand, but try penne, rigatoni, farfalle…
2. I used curly parsley, but you can also use flat-leaf (Italian). If I had had fresh spinach on hand, I might have thrown that in at the end as well for a bit of added iron, not to mention color.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 20 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 4

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