Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta

The other day while I was working at the confection studio for my internship, Tariq asked us all to stop what we were doing for a brief meeting. I instantly thought we were all in trouble. (I always think I'm in trouble. lower school flashbacks?) Turns out someone brought either Tariq or Joel 30 pounds worth of freshly caught shrimp and he said we could all take some. You should have seen these shrimp! They looked like they were on steroids.  We all got over 2 pounds to take home. It would have cost so much if I had purchased these from the grocery! I honestly hit the jackpot with this internship. Now only if they let me sit down a bit more... It was also pretty fun bringing these big guys home. The fam is so used to me bringing home damaged pieces of cake, cupcakes and macaroons from the store that it was a funny surprise that I brought home 2 pounds of mega shrimp instead. I don't think Althea (ergo mom) was disappointed.


So you know how everyone is always much more willing to go to a boring meeting, speaker or something equally as lame if they off free food? Try a career in the food industry. Or even better, the baking industry. (....or worse, depending on how you looking at my constantly growing gut and thighs - although I doubt this pasta i made helped much either)


This recipe is adapted from a recipe by Chaos in the Kitchen  

Ingredients 

8 oz. Linguine  (half a package)
about 7 tablespoons of butter (...I know I know)
1/3 cup cream cheese
package of sliced mushrooms ~ 8 oz.
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parlsey
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup pasta water (from boiled linguine)
1/4 cup white cooking wine ~ or more depending on taste (or regular white wine if you are able to get your hands on it)
About 2 pounds of fresh shrimp

How to peel a shrimp:

1. Rip off the head (pinch hard to get the guts and innards off also. sometimes those bits like to stay on)

2. Put your thump by the legs and peal off the body in one circular motion
3. pinch the tail, and pull
4. remove the intestines (everyone's favorite part) ~ with a chef's knife, cut along the spine of the shrimp and pull the black lookin stuff out with yo hands. yum  (but would you rather eat it?)

Mis En Place (pronounced Meez ahn plahs) which means "everything in its place" - its good to have your mis en place ready before you start cooking so when it comes time to put everything together, you don't have to shuffle around or stop what you are doing. I'm learning all about the improtance of mis en place at my internship at Sucre right now.

Directions
1. Follow the directions for the pasta on the bag. My brand said to boil the water and cook for 10 minutes.

Sautéed mushrooms

2. While the water is boiling and the pasta is cooking, saute the mushrooms and in a large skillet with two tablespoons of butter, salt and pepper. When they are finished cooking, set the mushrooms aside in a separate bowl and cook the shrimp along with another tablespoon of butter, and a dash of salt and pepper. Watch the shrimp carefully and don't cook for longer than five minutes. Remove them right after they turn pink and no grey can be seen. It's ok if you think they might be slightly undercooked because you will have to put them back into the pan to be reheated anyway. Also remove the shrimp and set aside.

Sautéed shrimp

3. In that same pan, saute the basil, parsley, cream cheese, and remaining butter, stiring constantly until the cream cheese has melted. Gradually add the cooking wine in 2 parts. Let the sauces simmer for about 10 minutes to thicken. When the sauce has reached your desired thickness, add the mushrooms and shrimp. Let those reheat for about a minute or so and then add the pasta. Toss and serve.