By JB Mays

Not all pasta sauces need be giant chunky messes, slopped over innocent pasta with all the subtlety of an ice cream scoop. Here’s a pasta dish light enough for eating outside on a summer day, but hearty enough to be surprisingly filling. If you prefer, you can marinate the shrimp for a half hour beforehand with some juiced and zested limes (3), oranges (2) and a lemon, along with some garlic, olive oil, and salt. Just remember to get it yourself – I’m not throwing it in the ingredients list. If you don’t like shrimp, then replace that with some grilled and sliced chicken. Or it’s fine without a meat component (sacrilege!). Throw gummy bears on it for all I care. It’s some good pasta.

The Setup

8 oz uncooked spaghetti or linguine
1 tablespoon butter
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 c fresh grated Parmesan cheese (Don’t use the mummy dust in the green can. Please.)
1 lemon, zested and juiced
12 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and marinated if you feel like it
1 large egg, beaten (or 1/2 c heavy cream for a richer result)
1/2 c chicken broth
Salt and pepper

Cooking

1. Cook the pasta slightly al dente (8-9 min for the dried stuff, much less for fresh). Set it aside and drain the pot.

2. Knock the heat down to medium-low and return the (empty) pot to the burner. Add your butter and oil. When the  butter melts, add the broth and let it heat through.

3. Turn off the burner, add your pasta, egg (or cream) and Parmesan to the pot. Cover it and toss, then add your zest and lemon juice. Season to taste and top with some fresh herbs if you’re feeling high and mighty.

4. Either fish your shrimp out of the marinade, or season them. Give them about a minute on each side on either the grill or in a saute pan. Add them to the pasta, and you’re good to go.