With all of this talk and actual stormy weather I felt like taking myself to a warm place and imaged eating a very light and summery meal. Nothing heavy or hearty, just light, fragrant, colors of the summer and easy to prepare. Ciao, lemon tagliatelle pasta with garlic shrimp!

If you ever had the pleasure to visit The Amalfi Coast in Italy, then you know that lemons are everywhere. And when I say everywhere, I mean everywhere. There are these beautiful, fragrant lemon trees with the sunny lemons hanging from their branches that you can actually smell in the air. Most recipes and drinks contain lemons when you visit Sorrento and Lemoncello is served after every meal.  There is nothing better than fresh food in season!

But back to reality. It is January, not October (the height of the lemon season in Sorrento) and its below freezing outside. But that is the beauty of food, you can create and take yourself to any part of the world with your imagination and ingredients. Set the table, light a candle, place some flowers in a vase, pour yourself and your guest(s) a glass of wine, place some soft music and enjoy your meal!!

Lemon Tagliatelle with Garlic Shrimp

Ingredients: Serves 2

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• Lemon zest of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• Salt and Freshly cracked pepper to taste
• ½ pound tagliatelle pasta (for 2)
• 4 fresh mint leaves, julienned
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• 12 extra large shrimp, cleaned and deveined with tails on
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a large bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil and season the water with salt. Add in the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter into the olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Add in the smashed garlic and shrimp. Cook about 2 minutes per side over medium high heat.

Remove the pasta into the bowl of lemon sauce using tongs to capture some of the starchy cooked water. This will help thicken the sauce. Carefully toss to coat the pasta with the sauce. Serve 6 shrimp per person with the pasta and sauce. Top with some extra grated Parmesan cheese and some julienned mint leaves.