Creamy Seafood Linguine

Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic  

1/2 cup onion 

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp olive oil 

1 1/4 c seafood stock

2/3 c & 1/2 c grated parmesan 

1/3 block of Neufchatel cheese 

2 T chopped fresh basil 

3 T chopped fresh parsley

1/2 a fresh lemon 

1 set of crab claws or 1 can crab meat

1/2 pound of large shrimp

1 Tbsp butter 

2 c sliced baby portabella mushrooms

2 c fresh baby spinach 

1/2 pkg whole grain linguine 

1 medium tomato 

1/2 tsp garlic powder 

creole seasoning, salt, pepper

Sauce:

Saute 3 cloves minced garlic & 1/2 cup minced onion in 2 Tbsp butter & 1 Tbsp olive oil until soft

Add 1 c seafood stock (or you can just use water you boiled the crab in) and 1 c milk (I used unsweetened almond)

Gently boil until it reduces and starts to thicken

Slowly stir in 2/3 c freshly grated parmesan (I also used some pecorino-romano b/c I had it on hand), then 1/3 block of Neufchatel cheese (lowfat cream cheese) cut in small pieces.

Let the cheeses melt into the sauce

Add about 1 T chopped fresh basil and 1 T chopped fresh parsley

Squeeze in 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Season to taste with creole seasoning, fresh cracked black pepper & sea salt

Crab:

Steam 1 set of crab claws in a little crab boil (if you have it) and salted water for about 10 minutes. 

Let cool, pick crab meat from claws, set aside. 

(Or use one can of crab meat if fresh is unavailable.)

Fold crab into sauce just before mixing sauce w/pasta.

Shrimp:

Toss 1/2 pound of large shrimp (peeled & deveined) in 1 Tbsp melted butter, 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, 1 clove minced garlic, creole seasoning, s & p, squeeze juice from 1/4 lemon on it.

Best to let them marinate for 15 min-30 min.

Heat a dry nonstick skillet. place shrimp in skillet, not touching each other & cook on high enough heat that it sears/browns them w/out burning. They only need a couple minutes on each side.

Set shrimp aside, cutting into bite sized pieces when cool.

Veggies:

(Using pan that the shrimp was in)

Deglaze pan with 1/4 c seafood stock, picking up all the stuck on yumminess the shrimp left behind.

Add to pan 2 c sliced baby portabella mushrooms and sauté until they start to brown, then add 2 c fresh baby spinach and continue to sauté until it wilts.

Pasta:

Boil in salted water 1/2 pkg whole grain linguine according to package directions for aldente. (mine was 7 minutes)

Drain pasta, toss with the mushrooms/spinach mixture and shrimp in a tall casserole or bowl w/a lid.

Pour the sauce/crab mixture over the pasta & gently fold it in.

Sprinkle 1/2 c grated parmesan on top of it all.

Let it sit covered for about 5 minutes or so (while you eat a salad ;) to let the noodles soak up some of the sauce.

Topping:

Toss 1 diced medium tomato w/ 1 Tbsp each fresh basil & parsley, a little creole seasoning & garlic powder. Set that in the fridge until ready to serve so it's nice & cold. 

Top each bowl of pasta with a spoonful of this once you're ready to serve.