I thought today might be a workshop or writing day, but instead it turned into a computing and sewing day. That’s fine, I’m happy I made progress with what I had.
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On that same note, last night’s dinner was a medley of things we had in the fridge. They are also the sorts of flavors I associate with summer: fresh herbs, tomatoes from the garden, and sweet corn.
I was reminded of a dish I had in Boston years ago, a delicate, almost ethereal ravioli stuffed with shrimp and corn in cream sauce. The corn’s sweetness is complex enough not to seem one-note, and elevates the flavor of the shrimp. It’s a good memory, and while I don’t remember the year or the restaurant or the other eleven items on the tasting menu, that dish made a lasting impression.
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We also decided to try our hand at homemade pasta. The same friends who lent us the KitchenAid ice cream attachment also lent us their pasta rollers. Taste and texture were good, and the process was fairly straightforward, considering I’ve made pasta only once? before.
I used this dough recipe: Fresh Pasta Recipe
Notes to Future Me: use the eggs we get from our local source, the ones from Costco were a little too small and threw off the ratio; knead more enthusiastically; and use more flour than you think you should for dusting the sheets before rolling and cutting.
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My father asked how I made the sauce. I have a fairly casual relationship with most recipes, but here it is, more or less. If you don’t have all of the ingredients, substitute red peppers for tomatoes, dried basil for fresh, or whatever’s in the pantry. That’s what I did:)
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Creamy Summer Shrimp Fettuccini
Ingredients
- 2 slices bacon, chopped into bits
- 1 shallot, sliced fine-ish
- 1/2 C. corn kernels, cut from cooked cob, frozen, or canned
- 1 C. cream
- 1 T. lemon juice, or to taste
- white wine, whatever you’re drinking, a splash or three
- shrimp, big handful
- cherry tomatoes, handful, halved
- basil, six giant leaves from the garden, sliced
- reserved pasta water to taste, plus backup cornstarch if you add too much
- salt, pepper, Parmesan
- fettuccini
Instructions
- While the pasta water heats, sauté the bacon and shallots until translucent.
- Add corn, cream, lemon juice, white wine and cook down for a couple of minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Add shrimp, cook until opaque.
- Add the tomatoes and basil and heat through.
- Adjust the sauce for flavor and thickness with salt, pepper, more wine, cream and/or and pasta water. If it’s too thin, mix up a slurry of 1 T. cornstarch and a cup of cold water, add until you have enough liquid and cook until thickened.
- Serve over pasta, topped with grated Parmesan.
* Note: I would say that have moderately-sized hands.
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J.R. Johnson 
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