Penne Patrizio
Penne Patrizio
This dish was inspired by the Penne Enrico at Patrizio, the surprisingly affordable Italian restaurant in Highland Park. I had a few things in the refrigerator to use up so they all ended up in this dish. The sauce here is very light and on the bright side through the use of the lemon. It is a quick dish to prepare. You can substitute chicken for the shrimp.
- 1/2 pound medium size shrimp, deveined, peeled, tails removed
- 8 oz penne rigate
- 6 asparagus stems, white ends removed, cut into 1 inch lengths
- 1/2 red bell pepper diced
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 6 oz of button mushrooms, stems removed, and thinly sliced
- 10 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 cup chicken stock
- Juice of one lemon, about 1/4 cup
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 2 oz grated parmigiano reggiano, or pecorino romano
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat a large pot of water to the boiling point. Add some kosher salt to the water. Add the pieces of the asparagus and boil for about 3 to 5 minutes until the asparagus is crisp tender. Remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon or strainer and set aside.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions or until al dente.
Meanwhile heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, the red pepper, and the mushrooms and sauté until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the sliced garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant. Add the asparagus, the tomatoes, and the liquid ingredients. Reduce the liquids by half; it should take about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until just pink, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Drain the pasta and add to the sauce mixture. Serve the pasta in bowls and top with the grated cheese. This makes about 4 primi piatti or 2 very large entrée portions.