quick

Lemon Pepper Orzo with Shrimp and Snap Peas

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My mom used to make a lemon pepper pasta growing up that was one of my favourite dishes. She added shrimp, snowpeas, and we always topped it with a generous serving of parmesean cheese (or as I used to call it “sprinkle cheese”). People often say that fish and cheese don’t go together, but many east coast dishes combine the two - I think lemon always being present cuts through the richness which is what makes it work.


Spring is a wonderful time for this pasta as there are many vegetables coming into season. Sugar snap peas are my favourite but snow peas would also work. I’ve also done this with roasted asparagus instead of peas - in that case just skip step 5 and go straight to cooking the shrimp. Add your roasted asparagus in when you add the orzo to the pan. Sugar snap peas, snow peas and asparagus are all about to hit their peak season so now’s the time to embrace this light, fresh pasta dish.


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Lemon Pepper Orzo with Shrimp and Snap Peas

30 mins total

Ingredients:

340g package frozen, raw shrimp

1.5 cups orzo pasta

1 shallot, finely diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

227 g package of sugar snap peas (yields about 2 cups)*, cut into thirds

1.5 tsp of freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp of water

2 tbsp of lemon juice

1 tbsp of unsalted butter

1 tbsp of olive oil


Parmesan-reggiano to serve


Method:

  1. Place your frozen shrimp in a bowl and cover with cool water to thaw.

  2. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil for your orzo.

  3. Meanwhile, in a frying pan, add olive oil and bring to medium- high heat.

  4. Sauté shallot and garlic in the pan until shallot is translucent and garlic is aromatic (2-3 mins). Add in black pepper and allow the pepper to sizzle in the oil with the shallot and garlic for 1 min.

  5. Reduce the heat to medium and add in your snap peas. Pour in 2 tbsp of water to the pan to deglaze the bits that have begun to stick and add some moisture to help steam the peas. Season the peas with salt and pepper.

  6. Add a handful of kosher salt to your boiling water and then add in the orzo. Cook according to package - usually 6-7 mins for al dente.

  7. Peel your shrimp and add to your pan. I like to push my veggies to the side and add the shrimp in an even layer directly onto the pan. Try not to disturb them until you see the pink peaking through to the other side (usually 1-2 mins) and flip them to the other side.

  8. Drain your orzo (DO NOT RINSE) and add to the pan with the shrimp and vegetables - it’s ok if some pasta water comes with it! That will help the flavours stick.

  9. Add butter and lemon juice and give everything a good stir. Taste - season and adjust if needed.

  10. Serve with Parmesan cheese on top and some freshly cracked pepper.


Go-To Winter Side Salad

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6 simple ingredients

6 simple ingredients

One of the first bloggers I followed on Instagram was Dulanotes - I loved her simple approach to truly yummy food. Back in 2016, she posted this recipe for Pork Scalloppine with Fennel Salsa Verde. Fennel is one of my favourite vegetables - tastes amazing raw with lemon juice and some salt n pepper, but also cooks into a buttery texture similar to cooked cabbage when braised.

I’ve taken Dulanote’s fennel salsa verde recipe and adjusted it over the years to make what I call the best winter side salad around. Winter meals tend to be heavier, especially when entertaining - braised meats, meat wrapped in pastry, etc. The brightness, acidity and crunch of this salad will balance the richest of tourtieres, beef wellingtons, pork ragu pastas and so on. A family favourite, always requested when I go home for the holidays, it also holds up well in the fridge for leftovers thanks to the kale base (albeit a little wetter than when first served).

Make it extra festive: add pomegranate seeds

go-to winter side salad

Yields 4-6 servings

15 mins to prepare

Ingredients:

1 small fennel bulb, plus the fronds

¼ cup of lemon juice (typically juice of 1 lemon)

1 tbsp of capers

1 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil

2 shallots, finely diced

1 head of kale

Kosher salt

Ground pepper

Method:

  1. Dice the fennel bulb, yielding about ½ cup of fennel and add to a large mixing bowl. Tear off the fronds from the stems, and roughly chop before adding to the bowl.

  2. Roughly chop up the capers to make them smaller bites, and add to the large bowl - it’s ok if some of the brine comes with it

  3. Add your diced shallots, lemon juice, olive oil to the bowl, season with salt and pepper - give it all a good stir to emulsify the oil into the lemon juice

  4. Remove the kale leaves from the stems, rinse, and chiffonade* into 1 cm thick strips  

  5. Add the kale to the bowl and mix with the your (clean) hands, squeezing the dressing into the kale to tenderize it a little bit

  6. Serve and enjoy!


*chiffonade refers to thinly slicing greens/herbs into long thin strips. To get consistent sized strips, I bunch the kale up into a tight ball with my left hand and thinly slice. After I’ve completed this, I chop into thirds the other direction.