Lemony Shrimp and Asparagus with Cheesy Polenta

This recipe is the perfect combination of what I love about winter cooking and spring cooking, and it’s great for this time of year when we’re still getting rain in the Bay Area but the daffodils and irises are pushing up.

On one hand you have polenta, which is perfectly cozy and comforting and just what I want slowly simmering on the stove when it’s cold and dark outside. But then you also have bright, springy flavors thanks to shrimp quickly cooked with tender asparagus and some zippy lemon. It’s the best of both worlds!

Lemony Shrimp and Asparagus with Cheesy Polenta 
Serves 4-6 
1 quart chicken broth
1 cup polenta
½ cup grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup sliced shallots (from 3 large shallots)
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound asparagus, cut into one-inch pieces
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Juice of one lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste

Bring broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Gradually add polenta, stirring for a minute, before reducing heat to low and covering the saucepan. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring the polenta for a minute every 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in the grated Parmesan and lemon zest.

While polenta is cooking, heat olive oil in large frying pan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until shallots have softened and started to brown. Add butter to the pan to melt before adding asparagus and cooking for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp and cook until pink. Remove pan from heat, stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Distribute polenta evenly among bowls, followed by shrimp and asparagus, and then garnish with Parmesan.

Playing around with pasta and peas

 I spotted some orecchiette at the grocery store the other day and realized I’d never cooked it. I’ve seen different recipes in the past that combine this disc-shaped pasta with bacon, peas, both … so this is what I decided to do with my bag of orecchiette.

We have a humongous sauté pan that I like to use for dishes such as this. It helps to have a big ol’ pan so you’ve got plenty of surface area to mix all the ingredients without going elbow-deep in a huge stock pot.

A side note: This meal went great with a bottle of La Crema 2008 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir we picked up on my birthday trip to Healdsburg this past fall.

Orecchiette with Peas and Crispy Shallots
2 shallots, sliced thin
½ cup olive oil
4 strips turkey bacon, cut into small pieces
1 pound orecchiette pasta
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1 cup Parmesan
1 cup cooking liquid reserved and divided
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a small saucepan, heat oil over medium flame. Fry shallots until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove shallots with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Remove from heat and drain, reserving one cup cooking liquid.
While pasta is boiling, cook turkey bacon over medium heat in a large frying pan until crisp. Remove from pan with slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain. Add peas to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through.Add pasta to pan with peas. Stir in Parmesan and half of the cooking liquid. Keep adding more cooking liquid until it has formed a nice creamy, but not runny, sauce that coats the pasta. Stir in turkey bacon pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, place pasta in bowls or on plates and top with shallots.