Gremolada Pasta with Shrimp

Gremolada, which is believed to have originated in the province of Milan, is a chopped herb condiment typically made of lemon zest, garlic, and parsley.  In other words, it's sort of like a freshly chopped pesto.

My first experience with gremolada was at this little authentic Italian restaurant.  It was served with a braised veal shank.  It was delicious... the gremolada and the veal shank.  The flavors were incredibly tangy and fresh and it made the already melt in your mouth veal shank taste like one of the best things I had ever eaten.  So, obviously, when I stumbled across this recipe for gremolada pasta, I knew I had to try it.  AND, since I'm on a huge shrimp kick lately, well, I couldn't resist adding them to this dish!

Maybe some day I'll actually try recreating the veal shank that I had, but for now, let's start with baby steps :)

Gremolada Pasta with Shrimp
Adapted from Cooking.com
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 garlic cloves, quartered
1/3 cup flat leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
6 Tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
20 medium or large COOKED shrimp
1 lb angel hair pasta

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water.  Place the cooked pasta in a large serving bowl.  Add the shrimp.

In a food processor, add the lemon zest and garlic.  Pulse until the garlic has been chopped up a bit.  Add the parsley, lemon juice, and olive oil.   Season with salt and pepper.  Pulse until parsley has been finely chopped.  Add sauce to the pasta and toss to combine everything.  If the pasta is too dry, add a little of the reserved pasta water.  Top with parmesan cheese if desired.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Grilled Asian Sirloin Steaks