The 8:26pm Pasta Dish

For my birthday Patrick let me make whatever I wanted for dinner! I decided it'd be fun to try making homemade whole wheat pasta and throw in all my favorite things to the sauce -- pancetta, mushrooms, and shrimp! My birthday was on Monday this year so that meant after dinner I was able to watch my favorite show -- The Bachelor! I was even able to spend the day with my favorite person because it was President's Day and Patrick had the day off. It couldn't have been a better day!

The 8:26pm Pasta Dish
Ingredients that I Used
   Unfortunately this is a "throw together" dish and I don't have precise measurements (everything listed below is very approximate)
Pancetta
Shrimp (~1/2 lb; if frozen have them thawed)
1 medium onion, chopped
Mushrooms (roughly 1 1/2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Zest of 1 lemon
Red pepper flakes
Extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup grated romano cheese
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 lb pasta

Directions
   Prepare shrimp. Marinade the shrimp in 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, and a dash of red pepper flakes. Set aside until ready to add to the sauce.
   Warm 1 tbsp evoo in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta. Once the fat has rendered add the chopped onion and mushrooms; season with salt and pepper. Saute for about 10 minutes or until mushrooms have released their liquid. Add crushed garlic and stir. Cook for another minute or so / until the garlic is fragrant. Add a dash of wine to the pan. Push aside veggies and then add shrimp in an even layer to the center. After 2 minutes or when shrimp are becoming pink flip to the other side for 1 more minute. Remove shrimp to a plate.
   Add 1/4 cup wine and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Then add 1/4 cup half and half or a bit more, make sure the bottom of the pan is covered. Finally add 1/2 cup grated romano cheese to finish the sauce.
   Meanwhile cook pasta. Add pasta directly to pan. If needed add pasta water to loosen the sauce. (We needed a ladle full of pasta water). Plate and add shrimp to the pasta; serve immediately.

Patrick even set the table with our formal settings! The wine was a chardonnay from the Joel Gott winery which was one served at our wedding.

Why 8:26pm pasta? That's what time I arrived to the world! In the picture above, at that very moment, I was now officially twenty seven years old. (Sometimes we have late dinners.)

Special thanks to Patrick for making my birthday so wonderful! There's no one else I'd rather have by my side to welcome the coming years!