Self Care: Fettuccine with Arugula Pesto and Crispy Shrimp

I think we've come to the time of the semester where we all really need some self care.  This semester in my masters program we have an extra eleven hours a week in practicum which means a lot less time.  We're stressed, and we're really ready for summer.  With this in mind I thought it would be time for another self care recipe, and you can bet that means some pasta and heavy cream!  Next time I do a self care recipe maybe I'll avoid pasta. Maybe.

Despite being a creamy dish, the arugula pesto is light and refreshing - perfect for spring!  I think you'll enjoy its spicy, garlicky flavor in a lot of applications.  My roommate and I have already resolved to spread it on french bread, add more cheese and bake it in the oven.  I also want to try it stuffed in a chicken breast with sun dried tomatoes and feta.

Making the pesto is easy - simply combine the arugula, almonds, cheese, garlic, and olive oil in the bowl of the food processor and blend.  Make sure you toast the almonds in a dry pan before adding them to the pesto.  This will bring out a fully developed almond flavor.  I use pecorino romano cheese because it's what my Southern Italian family uses, but you can use parmesan if that's what you have.  (Mini Italian history lesson - cows are not able to graze in Southern Italy, but sheep are abundant there.  That's why many southern Italians use pecorino, a sheep's milk cheese, versus parmesan which is a cow's milk cheese.)  If you plan on using the pesto as a sauce on it's own, without the cream, slowly drizzle in more olive oil to make it a bit more like a sauce and less like a paste.  Combine the pesto with the cream and set it aside.

Next fry your shrimp.  Season your flour with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.  Pat your shrimp dry with a paper towel and dredge it in the seasoned flour.  Brown the shrimp in oil over medium-high.  It should not take more than two minutes on each side, so keep an eye on the shrimp!  Remember, when the shrimp is C shaped it's cooked, when it's O shaped it's overcooked.  Once the shrimp is cooked put it on a paper towel lined dish to drain,

Once your pasta is cooked al dente add the sauce and shrimp and serve with some more grated pecorino romano cheese!

Fettuccine with Arugula Pesto and Crispy Shrimp

Adapted from How Sweet It Is

Ingredients

• 4 oz. of arugula (approx. 1/3 of a bag)
• 1/3 cup of grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/3 cup of raw, slivered almonds, toasted
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 1/2 pint of heavy cream
• 1 lb. fettuccine
• 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook fettuccine until al dente
2. In a dry pan, toast almonds for a three minutes, stirring occasionally until they become fragrant
3. Combine arugula, cheese, almonds, garlic, and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor and blend
4. In a bowl mix the arugula pesto with the heavy cream and set aside
5. Season the flour with garlic powder, salt, and pepper and dredge the shrimp in the flour - make sure the shrimp is completely dry before you dredge it
6. Brown the shrimp on each side in olive oil in a skillet on medium-high.  The shrimp will cook quickly, it should not take more than two minutes on each side
7. Toss the sauce with the cooked pasta and the shrimp