Lemon Scented Spaghetti With Shrimp

Fridays come around and it seems like the family is usually getting together, which begs the question "what to eat?"  There are a lot of palettes and likes/dislikes to account for, and for all the [good] Catholics out there meat is out of the running until later in the month.

This gets quite a pop of lemon that coats each strand of pasta, each bite as you twirl it 'round your fork, replacing the need for as much salt as otherwise with its bright citrus flavor.  The sea-fully savory yet sweet shrimp thrives, and it's worth getting the good stuff, wild and fresh if you have any say.  I like my pasta tight, dressed more like salad, whereas Nicole likes hers wading in abundant liquid.  I agree that the latter approach works really well in this endeavor, so reserve your pasta water rather than tossing it when the pasta's done to make the broth. 

Serves Four (just double it for a famiglia meal)

Ingredients:
1 lb. of spaghetti or other long thin noodle
2 lbs. of shrimp, peeled and cleaned
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 2 medium lemons
Fresh parsley finely chopped to yield about 1/4 cup
1/2 cup white wine, at room temperature or warm
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more to finish off the sauce and garnish
Hot pepper flakes to taste
Salt & Pepper to taste

If you need some guidance on cleaning shrimp:
Use your thumbs on the underside where the legs are to peel away the shell, and remove it segment by segment, leaving the penultimate one and the tail intact.  Squeeze the penultimate one and then gently pull, which should separate and come off cleanly.  Or leave it on for presentation.   

Take a pairing knife and run it down the length of the convex side of the body, about 1/8" deep. Then take the tip of the knife and pry up the digestive tract (some may be totally clean). You should be able to, by being gentle, take the tract out in one fell swoop.  You may notice a dark line running the inside of the concave side, but you don't need to bother with this, it's not the same as the other side. 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it abundantly.  Figure about 10 minutes from start to finish for the sauce, so 'trow the pasta in accordingly to time its finish, shortening the cooking time 2 minutes from what the box says.   

To prepare the shrimp and sauce, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large fry pan over medium high heat.  When it's shimmering but not quite smoking, add the shrimp in one layer.  Let them cook, undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes, then toss or flip.  Add the garlic at this point and stir around with the shrimp, letting it cook but before it browns add the white wine and deglaze the pan, letting most of the wine cook off.  Add a couple ladles of the salted pasta water at this point and let it simmer to create the broth. 

When the pasta is nearly done, add the lemon juice to the fry pan, then the pasta and toss to meld all the flavors, continuing to cook for another 2 minutes.  Toss most of the parsley in, reserving some to garnish individual plates.  Add more pasta water for a brothy result, tasting for salt each time to prevent over-salting, adding plain water if that's the case.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Plate the pasta with some of the shrimp on top.  Garnish with more parsley, pepper flakes and extra virgin olive oil if you like and serve.