Drunken Seafood Linguine

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A few years ago I did my very first food spread. My ex's mother (HI, MRS. DENISE!) wrote me and told me that the local magazine was looking for a creative local cook. How could I resist? I emailed the editor and a few phone calls later I was producing my very first recipe spread. We've done three now, with a fourth in the planning stages and a few recipes thrown into a Christmas issue, but the first will always be my favorite. It was food made with champagne and wine, and I made the cover:

One of the many dishes I created for the magazine was "Pasta Divina" -- shrimp fettuccine tossed in a creamy mascarpone-champagne sauce. This time I wanted to go a little lighter, a little bubblier, and a little cheaper. I procured seafood one week on BOGO at Publix, and I had most of a bottle of bubbly left from my Christmas ham (also another recipe from this magazine), plus I had stocked up on pasta from a previous week's BOGO, so we were nearly good to go. New Year's Eve seemed like the perfect time to try it out. We'd finally finished off the ham (note to self: 8 lbs is too big for four people), so it was time to ring in the new year with our favorite meal: PASTA.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. dry linguine
• 1 lb. fresh mussels
• 1/2 lb. large shrimp, shelled
• 1 large shallot, finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 c. brut champagne
• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp. white pepper
• 1 large lemon
• fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS:

     In a large pan (not pot) which has a lid, melt the butter. Finely slice the shallot and mince the garlic, then saute in melted butter along with garlic salt and white pepper. Pour over champagne and reduce by a third, stirring frequently. Place mussels in the champagne sauce and cover. Steam for 5 - 10 minutes. Toss in the shrimp and leave pot uncovered to cook. In the meantime, boil the linguine noodles to just ever so infinitesimally before they are done. Drain pasta and pour over seafood. Stir so that the pasta can evenly soak up the champagne sauce and finish cooking, and also to distribute and expose the seafood. Chop parsley and sprinkle over pasta before serving. Garnish each serving with lemon slices.

Cheers to you and yours! May 2014 be everything you dream it will be.  :-)