Connecting the dots: pasta with rock shrimp, lemon and pepper

If you've been cooking for awhile, and paying attention to what you eat, you will have come to a point where you either notice one thing that will join two otherwise very different dishes, or you will understand how people use a standard, or classic technique on an unusual ingredient. If you like it, you'll do it yourself.

For an example of the latter, Patty Jackson makes an incredible green tomato parmagiana. It will remind you of eggplant parmagiana, but the spicy acidity of those green tomatoes brings you right back. Even now, Annalena is making a parmagiana of eggplant and zucchini. Remember when every restaurant had fried zucchini sticks on them, and you could get them in a basket with mozzarella sticks, also fried? Well...

This recipe comes somewhat out of that process. Within the enormous confines of this blog, you will find a recipe for a dish the Guyman and I ate in Oakland: pasta with flaked sand dabs and tomatoes. Also, you will find a recipe for a dish that was the ultimate in simplicity, but so good: fresh pasta with lemon peel and black pepper. Seem separate, huh? Well, then last night, the connection: at our favorite Union Square Cafe', a pasta dish of flaked halibut, lemon , garlic and broccoli rabb.

Now, based on the rest of the menu, Annalena knows where this pasta dish came from: there were pieces of halibut that were not suitable to be served as entrees, and there was too much broccoli rabb. Every self respecting kitchen has lemons and garlic and pasta in it. (Yours better or Annalena is coming). The Guyman ordered it, but if I hadn't had my face buried in my goat and porcini ragu, I would have stolen his.

Now, we jump forward, to planning for lunch today. I had decided to give us a week off of our favorite roast chicken, which was fine. Now, what to make?

OOPS. Didn't think that far ahead now, did I? Well, there were lemons in the fridge, and there was, of course, black pepper. Last night, lemons and fish. And black pepper. Hmmm.

And thus came this dish. At the last minute, I grabbed a buch of turnip greens and put them in the pasta as well. You should do something similar.

Rock shrimp are wonderful, tasty little nuggets which seem to have two seasons. They freeze beautifully, and they are already peeled. If you can't get them, you can use regular shrimp (go for the smaller ones), or scallops. You could even use any white fish you have. Now, let's make this ridiculously simple, quick dish, that will make you smile.

Start, as always with a big pot of water, that you bring to the boil. Add a few teaspoons of salt to it.

While that water is coming to the boil, zest two lemons. Save the lemons for their juice in some salad dressing, or a cake, or wherever you use lemon juice. They'll keep for a while. And get some greens. I would say that these are optional, but really, they're not. You need some vegetables in the dish, and the tougher greens are better. Use kale, beet greens, chard, turnip tops, broccoli rabb, whatever.

When the water has come to a boil, add a half a pound of a curly, short stubby pasta, and start it cooking. Look at the package directions, and subtract three minutes from that. When you reach that point, i.e, three minutes from completion, chop up the greens and add them directly to the water. Then, at one minute from completion, add your shrimp. One pound, please

Drain everything, and then dump it into a large bowl. Throw in the lemon peel, and grate in lots of fresh black pepper. Then, add a tablespoon of olive oil per person you're serving, toss it, and....

Not too complicated, was it? You will get three, very large portions out of this, and of course you can make smaller ones for more portions.

This is the perfect, quick and very healthy pasta dish. I do hope you'll make it. Pick up some shrimp on the way home, and make yourself a quick, wonderful dinner with a salad. You will feel VERY good about yourself.