Mediterranean Garlic Ricotta Shrimp Pasta
This quick and rich garlic ricotta shrimp pasta is incredibly creamy and luxurious and has a lovely sour and salty flavor from lemon and glasswort (sea asparagus).
Even on the busiest and most stressful days, I want to eat a real meal. Something delicious and creamy with a character. It’s pasta I usually crave on these days. What do you crave in the busiest of days? Let me know in the comments below. Sometimes I make pasta salad and nibble on it during the day. Pssst… don’t tell anyone!
But for reals, the amount of pasta we eat. And it’s not only because we’re busy. It’s mostly because we love pasta. If you’re a pasta lover like me, then this is the recipe for you.
The flavors here are mild but so indulging and balanced. The lemony ricotta sauce with peas and shrimp is to die for on its own, but then you add some garlic and glasswort and you’ve got a treat that you can make in seconds.
Have you ever tried glasswort?
It is apparently also called sea asparagus and grows in salt marshes. It is edible both raw and cooked and delicious either way!
I tried it for the first time last weekend when I randomly saw it in the store and I just had to try it.
What does it taste like? It’s like eating the sea and I mean that in a good way. It is very salty so you should be careful with how much you put in a dish. I especially love the crunch. It kinda reminds me of the exploding candy that I ate as a child. Remember, the ones that feel like there are bubbles popping in your mouth.
Not to worry. If you can’t get your hands on sea asparagus, you can still make a super delicious garlic ricotta shrimp pasta. You can add some pickled capers for the salty Mediterranean flavor. Works just as nicely.
Mediteranean Garlic Ricotta Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- 250 g dried pasta
- 1/2 cup ricotta (100g)
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas (100g)
- 300 g shrimps peeled and deveined
- 15 g glasswort (sea asparagus) or alternatively, 2 TBSP pickled salted capers
- 2 TBSP butter
- 3 cloves garlic
- a few springs of thyme
- zest of 1 small organic lemon
- juice of 1 small lemon
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- grated parmesan cheese for topping
Instructions
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta as long as stated on the packaging stirring every two minutes. Once cooked, drain the pasta, but leave some pasta water to use for the sauce.
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While your pasta is cooking prepare the sauce. Place a large skillet on medium heat. Add butter and garlic and fry for a few minutes stirring occasionally. When the garlic turns lightly golden, add the shrimps, peas, glasswort, and thyme. If you are using capers instead of glasswort add them midway through cooking (when you turn the shrimps). Season with salt and black pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes and turn the shrimps midway through. Shrimps are done when they turn pink. Remove the shrimp, peas, and glasswort (or capers) from the skillet.
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Add ricotta, lemon juice, lemon zest and a little pasta water to the skillet and whisk to make it creamy. Add just enough pasta water for the sauce to be creamy but not runny. Remove from the stove. Season with salt and black pepper.
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Save a few shrimp, peas and glasswort (or capers) for decoration. Return the rest of the to the skillet and mix.
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Add the cooked and drained pasta to the sauce and mix to coat the pasta with the sauce.
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Serve warm and top with the remaining shrimp, peas and glasswort and some grated parmesan cheese.
Looking forward to trying your recipes
Let me know how you like them Michael!
Anja