I will be completely honest, I hate measuring things out and following exact directions. I feel cooking is about trial and error and individual taste. As part of this blog, I will list all the ingredients I use in each recipe along with a description of steps…but remember my philosophy…let yourself have fun, experiment, and enjoy the process!
We went back to Michigan for the holidays and spent a day at my sister’s house. I have not had a chance to cook for family in a long time, so my sister said “Gil, you are cooking”! I had her pick out one of the photos I took on Instagram as the basis for the menu. I was pretty happy when she chose this dish as I love angel hair pasta and shrimp. Light and still filling! The one thing with angle hair pasta is you better be able to eat it right away! This is not a make in advance type of dinner. So pick your favorite pasta brand and go with that, next get your shrimp. I dont like to spend a lot of money on cloths, cars or other guy things but I love to spend money on food! With that said, I recommend buying fresh ingredients. It is worth the extra money. You can use frozen shrimp, especially if you are in a time crunch, but I always like to get my shrimp the same day I make it. Fresh ingredients makes for a better dish. The other ingredients are straight forward: lemons, onions, capers, basil, butter, salt, and pepper.
Remember, timing is everything on this dish. The entire cooking time is right around 15 minutes. First, start to boil the water for the pasta. Next, I like to saute the onions, using simple olive oil, allowing the onions to sweat down. Once they start to turn brown, I remove them from the pan and set them aside. You do not need to keep them warm or covered. Then add a combo of olive oil and butter to the pan (usually a tablespoon of each). Then drop your pasta into the boiling water and place the shrimp into the pan. Squeeze one full lemon into the pan as the shrimp are cooking. Slice another whole lemon and throw the slices into the pan to cook with the shrimp. Add a half jar of capers directly in with the shrimp and lemons. I love capers! They are like little salt bites and add so much flavor. You know the shrimp are cooked perfectly when they turn white. At this point, add the onions back in and add finely chopped basil, a teaspoon of salt and a dash of pepper. ( For you spice lovers, add red chili flakes if you like the dish a little more intense). Finally, your pasta should be done so drain the water saving just a little bit in the pot. I like to mix everything in the same bowl prior to serving. Pour the shrimp and onions into the pot with the pasta and the little bit of pasta water. Mix all together. Remember, angel hair pasta needs to be eaten right away so try not to let it sit too long. I always like to add one more round of flavor before plating. Squeeze half a lemon onto the pasta and a dash of salt to the pot. I love cheese in general but I am a big fan of Parmesan cheese specifically. I like to use soup dishes for my pasta but plat how you like it best. Place the pasta and shrimp in the bowl, put some fresh basil on top and sprinkle the cheese onto the dish, and it is ready to enjoy!
I have never done this before so if you have any suggestions on how to make this blog more helpful please reach out to me. I would love your feedback and input. I hope you enjoy this dish, it is one of my favorites for sure.
Ingredients: This is for 5 people
- 1 package angel hair pasta
- 1 pound shrimp
- 1 jar capers
- 3 lemons
- salt
- pepper
- fresh basil
- chili flakes if you want
- olive oil
- butter