This recipe is broken into four phases. It’s easy to come together at the end which is awesome and you can swap out any of the ingredients for your favorite proteins and veggies.
Phase 1 – cheese melt
- -8 oz smoked Gouda
- -half block of mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 cup milk
Cube cheeses so that it is easier to melt. Low heat into sauce pan and continue stirring. By using low heat you can melt without burning. By stirring you ensure that the cheese at the bottom doesn’t stick and then burn. If it is too sticky stir in some milk to the mix to help water it town. It will re-thicken as the moisture is evaporated. Keep on low fire until you are ready to serve dishes. Gouda is used for the taste because it’s distinct. Mozz is used to give it the stretchy consistency and it’s also a very mild cheese in terms of taste.
Phase 2 – boil pasta shells, set aside and drain water
I usually boil my pasta with a bit of olive oil.
Phase 3 – steam veggies, set aside and drain water
Broccoli which are cut into smaller bite size bits. With this dish you don’t want any of the pieces to be huge. It should be about the same size of the shrimps. Want to steam until soft but not mushy. You should be able to easily use a fork and pick one up without much effort.
Phase 4 – Sauté protein
- garlic cloves, minced. You can be generous with the amount of garlic used
- shrimp, de-tailed (sometimes shrimp comes with the hard details, just remove the outer shell by pulling it off)
- 1/3 cup of white wine. I recommend any of the following: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio.
High heat in pan with oil. Stir in mixture of garlic and shrimp. Let cook a little then stir in cup of white wine. Bring to medium heat. Continue to stir and then cook until wine dries out of the pan.
Combine!
Combine in this order: Pasta with cheese, shrimp, then broccoli. Reasoning is that the pasta and cheese will bind easier together and you add the broccoli last so that you don’t damage the flowers as they are rather delicate. Grind fresh black pepper on top. Serve with remaining white wine 😉 http://instagram.com/p/sY0lSarfTJ/