Linguine with Green Garlic and Shrimp

By á-25087

Green garlic is young garlic harvested before the cloves form. They’re similar to scallions and leeks in appearance, and the entire plant is edible. The taste is much more delicate than mature garlic.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped green garlic, white and light green parts only
• 1/2 to 3/4-pound raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus the zest of 1 lemon
• 6 ounces linguine

Preparation

Step 1

Bring a pot of water to boil while you prep the other ingredients. When the water is boiling, salt it generously and start cooking the pasta according to package instructions.

When the pasta is about 4 minutes from being done, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium flame. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the green garlic and shrimp and season everything well with salt and pepper. Cook shrimp on the first side for about 2 minutes, then turn, meanwhile stirring the green garlic occasionally to keep it from browning. Cook the shrimp until it is just cooked through and opaque, another minute or so. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest.

Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the shrimp mixture in the skillet, tossing to coat thoroughly with the olive oil. If the pasta appears a little dry, add a little cooking liquid to the pan. Divide the pasta between two shallow pasta bowls or plates and spoon the shrimp/green garlic mixture on top. Much of the green garlic may seem reluctant to leave the pan. Be insistent in spooning it out—you’ll want as much of its flavor as possible on your plates.