Shrimp and Pea Pasta

Spaghetti with Shrimp and Green Peas

  • 6 oz. whole-wheat spaghetti (less than a full box or package, save the rest for another meal)
  • 1 10-0z. package frozen green peas
  • 1 container grape or cherry tomatoes (about 2 cups) cut in halves
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley (for Italian flavor) or cilantro (for Spanish flavor)
  • 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips after measuring
  • 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • one large pinch Kosher salt or sea salt (small chunks of salt pieces instead of fine grains)
  • dash of pepper
  • 1 pound Gulf coast* shrimp
  • 1 Tablespoon regular salt
  • 1 Tablespoon seasoned salt like Tony Chachere’s or Old Bay
  • 1 lemon, quartered

In a large soup pot, pour in 4 cups of water and add 1 Tablespoon salt,  1 Tablespoon seasoned salt, and the quartered lemon.  Bring ingredients to a boil.  When water is boiling, add raw shrimp. Turn off heat, cover, and let stand on the hot surface, in the hot water for 5 minutes.  Remove cover and stir shrimp to check for doneness: all shrimp should be bright pink.  Remove pot from heat, pour contents into colander to drain off hot water.  Add ice to shrimp to cool for handling.  When shrimp are cool enough to work with, peel and de-vein.  You can by the shrimp raw, but peeled and de-veined if you just can’t stand this part of the preparation. Raw, peeled and de-veined shrimp are usually found in the freezer section and are not typically Gulf coast shrimp.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions, set aside.

Cook frozen peas for 2 minutes in the microwave to warm them up; don’t cook them until they grow soft.

In a large bowl, combine the spaghetti, peas, and shrimp.  Add all the rest of the ingredients and toss to combine.

*Gulf coast shrimp: one of the really great things about the Texas coast is that the Gulf is almost always warm.  Something about the warm waters brings out the most succulent taste in our seafood.  Prawns, shrimp, and crabs that thrive in cold ocean waters may grow larger, but their taste doesn’t compare to the seafood of the Gulf.