Penne with Shrimp and Asparagus in a Creamy Garlic Sauce

As I have mentioned before on this blog, everyone in my family loves shrimp. To save money, I buy frozen shrimp from either Trader Joes or Whole Foods– I do try to make sure it’s American shrimp. It makes me feel better knowing the shrimp haven’t travelled very far to get to my table. I always have at least one bag of frozen shrimp at hand- very helpful on a busy day.

I had a lovely bunch of asparagus in the fridge and I thought of pairing it with the shrimp. I was flipping through the ten thousand food magazines at home and came up with anchovies. Now, before you start gagging- anchovies are delicious when used in sauces and dressings. Most people who think they don’t like the fishy taste don’t realize that the ‘fishiness’ goes away as soon as the anchovies dissolve or melt and what comes through is this a very complex nutty, salty flavor equal to nothing else out there.

When I am thinking of a recipe, I visualize it in my mind- step by step. In this case, I was planning on making a white wine and cheese sauce with an anchovy base. I was planning on adding the asparagus and then the shrimp and finally the penne.

I cooked the sauce- quite easy, didn’t take very long at all. I then added the trimmed asparagus to the pan. I looked at the frying pan and realized the asparagus, shrimp and penne were not going to look very appealing all mixed in together. So I quickly took the asparagus out and sauteed it separately in a pan and decided to add it on top instead. That worked out a lot better- it looked fabulous. We eat with our eyes first and the thought of serving an unappetizing meal was not very exciting.

The meal tasted great and it looked good as well- very important. I served the pasta with garlic bread and some red wine- good stuff all around!

• 1 pound jumbo shrimp, cleaned and deveined, cut into three pieces
• 1 teaspoon salt

Sprinkle the salt on the shrimp and keep aside

• 1 bunch asparagus, end cut off and cut into 3 inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 3 fillets bottled anchovies
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large or 2 medium shallots, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ cup white wine
• 2 cups chicken broth
• ¼ half and half
• 1 cup fontina, shredded
• Salt
• ½ cup fresh basil, torn

• ½ pound penne, cooked al dente

In a large frying pan, melt the anchovy fillets on medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, shallots and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the white wine and whisk on medium heat; next, add the chicken broth and continue to whisk till the sauce is smooth and thickened. Add the half and half and the cheese. Mix well till the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth again. Check for seasonings and add salt. Keep aside.
In the meantime, heat one tablespoon olive oil in a medium frying pan. Dip the asparagus tips into the cheese sauce and take out and place in the medium frying pan. Saute the dipped asparagus in the olive oil for 4-5 minutes on medium heat or till the asparagus is soft but not over cooked. Check for seasonings. Keep aside to serve on top of the pasta.

Heat the cheese sauce on a low heat and add the seasoned shrimp. Cook for a minute and add the cooked pasta. Stir well, and cook for 2-3 minutes or till the shrimp is cooked. Check for seasonings and top with basil. Serve with cooked asparagus on top.