Spring linguine
05.16.2011 
Over the weekend I became enthralled with a woman I never even knew existed until a few days ago. Penny De Los Santos is amazing! Her food photography class on creativelive.com held me captive for three straight days.
Penny is a fabulous photographer and a beautiful person. I love her sense of humor, her style, the way she gets right in there for the perfect shot. And she’s so easy-going. I’d love to spend a day peppering her with questions about the places she has traveled, the people she has met and the photos she has made. Her talent and eye for beauty have inspired me in so many ways. What a fabulous way to live…doing what you love day after day. Penny’s passion shows through in every story she tells, every picture she makes. She’s the real deal, in my opinion.
Her best advice? “If you’re not doing what you love, why not? Whatever you want to do, you can do it.”
She is absolutely right. And it makes me think of another inspiring person I learned more about over the weekend. I watched the Justin Bieber documentary Never Say Neverwith my kids (don't laugh; it was really good!). If that story doesn’t make you want to dream big and follow your dreams, I don’t know what would. A Canadian kid with a great voice, was discovered on YouTube. A couple of years later he sold out Madison Square Garden in 22 minutes. In his short career he has done things no other person has done. And he’s only 17.
Penny De Los Santos and Justin Bieber are an odd pair to talk about in the same breath, I’ll admit. But you know what I love about both of them? From the little I have seen, I get a strong feeling that they are both genuine people who have their priorities straight. In other words, their hearts are in the right places. And their stories make me smile.
All of my rambling has absolutely nothing to do with this recipe. Except that I shot these photos before I watched Penny’s class, and I hope that in the coming weeks and months I can start to show some improvement from the great tips I picked up over the weekend. If you didn't catch the class you can order a download at http://www.creativelive.com/courses/food-photography-penny-de-los-santos.
This pasta was, in fact, delicious. The stars of the show were the fresh asparagus and the basil that I snipped from my very own, newly acquired plant. Hooray for spring!
It’s an easy, quick dish you can whip up after a long workday. And I've found the time passes faster if you drink a glass (or two) of wine while cooking.
Cook 4 ounces of linguine in boiling water until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat. Mince two cloves of garlic and sauté for a minute or two. Add 2 cups of shrimp and saute. Steam 3 cups chopped asparagus until crisp-tender, 1-2 minutes. Add to shrimp and garlic. Add one cup cooked peas, and the zest and juice of one lemon. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve vegetables and shrimp over linguine. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkling of fresh basil and a dash of red pepper flakes if you’d like a little heat. And Parmesan cheese would be good too. I didn’t think about it until after the fact, but it would have been delicious.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Reader Comments (11)
oooo I have these ingredients...I think I'll try it out on some homemade whole wheat noodles I've been wanting to try out.
What a beautiful and refreshing pasta dish...looks like Spring in a bowl :)
What a beautiful and vibrant plate of pasta! I love how it also look so fresh and healthy. Sounds so perfect for summer lunch :)
I really wish that I could have followed the photography discussion with Penny... lord knows I need her help, but I just couldn't because my little one was still trying to beat this flu out of her...grrrr!
Your photography is amazing as it is! Look at that gorgeous plate of pasta ... you made it look like a million bucks! And it costs no more than 3$ to make it at home. ;-)
I was quite captivated with the 3 day class as well! So many good tips and pointers were learned, indeed!
This dish just screams spring and sounds absolutely delicious!
I know nothing about Justin Bieber except that they sold his hair for some ridiculous amount. :) As Dudette grows, I'll worry about the teen heart throbs; until then I'll just worry about my old people heart throbs. Your linguine dish does look fantastic. I adore all the flavors and vegetables you've included and have added it to my list of dishes to make!
That looks delicious! Hooray for Spring, indeed. I'm glad to know about the photography class...and I had no idea Justin Bieber started out on YouTube. Though my 14-month-old daughter has just been introduced to his music and likes to do her signature swirl to it, she has not yet developed a crush on him- thankfully. Amen to the glass of wine while cooking a fine spring dish- Cheers!
Wow this looks beautiful!!! I love how fresh and healthy this looks. Yum!
So jealous that you were able to attend the photoworkshop. Hope I can make it next time. This dish totally screams Spring! Its so bright and fresh.
Perfect for spring!! We have asparagus coming out of our ears around here so this recipe is just what I need. I especially like the part where you drink a glass, or two, of wine...thats also right up my alley!
This dish looks so tasty and refreshing! It's perfect for summer. I can't wait to try it out!