Creamy Pesto Shrimp with Linguini and Asparagus.

While I sit here waiting for the chimney sweep to arrive, and for the hours to pass by so that I can get to my ultrasound appointment at 1 o'clock, I thought I'd go ahead and share with you this yummy recipe for Creamy Pesto Shrimp with Linguini and Asparagus.

This is a recipe from my latest Sandi Richard's book (which was just released on September 2 - and I bought immediately off of Chapters without even so much as having looked in it first), "Dinner Survival". {Oh, my Chimney Sweep just arrived. No black top hat, though. wth??}.

Here is your Ingredients List:

1. 1 Tbsp butter
2. 1 Tbsp evoo
3. 2 Tbsp flour
4. 2 cups milk
5. 1/2 tsp pepper
6. 375 g linguini pasta (one box)
7. 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, light
8. 1/4 cup basil pesto
9. 450 g (or 1 lb) large shrimp, cooked, peeled, and deveined
10. 20 asparagus spears (450 g or 1 lb)
11. water (sorry)
12. 1 tsp butter
13. pinch of salt
14. hot chili flakes (optional)

Here are your Directions (given in "real time" as Sandi does, which I love):

1. Fill a large stove-top pot with water and bring to boil.
2. Heat butter and evoo in a large nonstick fry pan at med.-low. Remove from heat and whisk in flour. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Return to med.-low heat. Season with pepper. Heat through while whisking. Reduce heat to simmer white sauce.
3. Place pasta in boiling water. Set timer for 10 minutes.
4. Whisk cheese into white sauce until well combined. Blend in pesto. Fold shrimp into sauce and heat through.
5. Snap off bottom nodes of asparagus and discard. Rinse in colander or steamer basket. Place a small amount of water in the bottom of a stove-top pot and bring to a full boil with the asparagus in the basket above. Cover and set timer for 4 minutes. When timer rings, drain water and toss in pot with butter and salt.
6. When timer rings for pasta...rinse pasta in colander and return to pot, no heat.
7. Serve shrimp and sauce over linguini.

Verdicts:

Dave and I both really, really, enjoyed this dish and I'm not even a big shrimp fan. In fact, I think this is the first time I've ever been able to eat a "shrimp" dinner. It's just one of those (unfortunately, many) foods that grosses me out. But, every once in awhile I start to feel pretty guilty about cooking yet another chicken dinner, so this was great.

Not only that, but we had a little surprise guest over that night. Maddie's friend from school popped by while I was in the kitchen whipping up dinner. We called her Dad to see if she could stay for dinner: "Sure, we have plenty - no problem at all". So cool. It was a moment. I felt like Martha Stewart: ever ready for dinner guests, with lots of food and even a clean house. Now, mind you, this only happened because all the stars were properly aligned and my moon was in the 7th house, or something like that, and it will probably never happen again, but I was lovin' it.

As for the kids, well...mine ate the food and liked it, but were anxious to get down from the table to go play. Our guest, who "loves shrimp...and cheese...just not that white kind of cheese" didn't eat too much. But, that was okay...they still all had fun and I, I, was Martha Stewart for one shining moment.

And that is What's Cooking Wednesday {and my Chimney Sweep just left}. For more WCW ideas please check out The Fairy BlogMother's site right HERE. She couldn't bother her a** to participate this week, but at least the rest of us have.

{Just Kidding, Shan! Mwahh!} ;-)