Lemony Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta

Sous Chef looks at the growing mound of lemon zest and hesitates. I see him give a hearty side-eye to the quarter cup of lemon juice beside it. I see him give a hearty side-eye to me.

"I know it looks like a lot," I say in the calming voice I learned from teaching preschool in a former life. "But it's Test Kitchen. It'll be good."

It's true, we've never met a Test Kitchen recipe we don't like. From these cupcakes to a Chinese pork dish that made my dad swoon, Christopher Kimball and his bow tie have assembled a team of people who officially Know How To Cook.

Sous Chef, however, still pursing his lips as if he'd eaten some of the lemon, isn't quite convinced.

"It'll be like pasatese!" he ventures, referring to his Italian upbringing and the lemon-based broth brimming with worm-like noodles made from nothing but bread crumbs, eggs, and cheese. It's actually called passatelli, which I figured out after some Olympic-level Googling and recalling that Italians like to drop and add letters on a whim.

I nod encouragingly. That seems to calm him a bit. Back to the cutting board.

I've taken this Test Kitchen recipe and done what I always do - I tweaked it. I'm adding in shrimp and mushrooms (I love quartering my mushrooms - I feel like they absorb more flavor that way, and still maintain enough character to not get lost in whatever they're mixed into). I'm adjusting the amount of liquid to account for the liquid released when mushroom meets salt.

Oh, and I'm using amazeballs pasta.

Pappardelle's makes this incredible flavor-infused pasta, in all kinds of shapes and varieties. I was on their Facebook page one day and saw that they were holding a contest - a few clicks later, and I got a message saying I'd won a pound of whichever dried pasta I wanted!

I chose the garlic chive sea shell variety, and within a few days, I had a beautiful package at my door. The pasta's texture is hearty - more than you get from a garden variety boxed pasta at the store - thick and dense and real. It's definitely a mouthful, but in a really good way. Distribute accordingly (that's why this is graduating from a "serves 6" to a "serves 6 - 8").

Garlic Chive Shells al Limone with Shrimp and Mushrooms

Inspired by the geniuses at America's Test Kitchen. Serves 6-8.

1 pound Pappardelle's garlic chive sea shell pasta
Olive oil
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
1 pound shrimp (70/90 count), peeled, deveined, and thawed
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp dried basil
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup half-and-half
1 tsp cornstarch
Zest of one lemon
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Juice of two lemons
3 - 4 green onions, chopped (for garnish)


1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve one cup of the cooking water before draining the pasta and setting aside.

2. In the now empty pasta pot, drizzle enough olive oil to coat the bottom (about 2 Tbsp). Add the shallot, garlic, mushrooms, shrimp, crushed red pepper, dried basil and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are just cooked through (pink and juicy).

3. While the shrimp mixture is cooking, in a small bowl whisk together the half-and-half and cornstarch. Set aside.

4. When the shrimp mixture is done cooking, add in the half-and-half mixture, reserved cooking water, and lemon zest, stirring to combine. Cook for another two minutes, reducing heat so it's just simmering. This will allow the cornstarch to thicken the sauce.

5. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the pasta, Parmesan cheese, and lemon juice. Have a taste. Add salt and pepper as necessary. If the pasta seems a bit dry, stir  in a couple teaspoons of olive oil at a time until it is loose but not greasy.

6. Serve immediately, garnishing with chopped green onion.