Anniversary Dinner

Yesterday (June 18) was my husband and I's 6 year wedding anniversary.  We usually celebrate by going out to a wonderful meal and making a wonderful meal at home.  We went out to Farm Haus in St. Louis which is an incredible place.  The chef was just named one the top 10 chefs in the country by Food and Wine magazine and the food is based on what's in season and local ingredients.  Thomas had the asparagus salad with grilled asparagus, radish, and a garlic vinaigrette, "breakfast" for his main course (pork belly with a sunny side egg on top, homemade sausage, and corn blinis), and strawberry panna cotta with angel food cake, fresh strawberries and basil ice cream for dessert (basil ice cream is on my list to make- soooo good!).  I had the wild mushroom salad with bacon vinaigrette, blackened red snapper with collard greens and spoon bread, and a "rocky road" dessert with flourless chocolate cake, caramel ice cream, marshmallow, almond brittle, and caramel sauce.  The meal was one of the best we've ever had.

Now onto the meal that I made at home.  I don't have a name for the dish because it was born from my mom's seafood with linguine that I grew up on.  I changed it and added more ingredients.  It's a wonderful, fast, easy, elegant, and delicious recipe that anyone can do.  You can change the seafood to any seafood you like, add herbs, and add veggies.  It's a thin, almost broth like sauce that incredibly flavorful (and also healthy).  Here's my recipe:

8 oz. pappardelle pasta (or any wide noodle would work, like linguine)
3 tablespoons olive oil
About 2 cups of sliced portabello mushrooms
About 6 cloves garlic, minced (I love garlic so I go heavy, but add as much or as little as you like)
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
A couple of splashes of chicken stock or seafood stock (if you like a thicker sauce, add less.  If you like a thinner sauce add more.  I probably added 1/4 - 1/3 cups)
A splash of white wine (probably a couple tablespoons)
2-3 tablespoons minced parsley
Salt/pepper to taste
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Red pepper flakes (as much or as little as you like)
1/2 - 1 pound shrimp, cooked/peeled/deveined (depending on how much shrimp you would like)
1/2 - 1 pound fresh crab meat, cooked (again, depending on how much crab you like)
1/2 pound clams, cooked
Parmesan cheese to top

Bring a large pot of water to a boil
Salt the water and add the pasta
Cook according to the directions (I always cook pasta 2 min. short on what the package says- you want nice and al dente pasta)

While water is coming to a boil, heat the olive oil over medium high heat
Add the mushrooms and cook until just starting to soften
Add the garlic and cook another minute
Add scallions, chicken or seafood stock, wine, parsley, salt, pepper, zest and juice of the lemon, and red pepper flakes
Bring to boil to reduce (the sauce will thicken slightly) and stir
Reduce heat to low
Add shrimp, crab, and clams
Heat through
Add the pasta to the sauce and toss gently to combine (the pasta will absorb the sauce)
Serve with Parmesan cheese

Be sure to taste the sauce as you go along to make sure you have seasoned it correctly.  Also, instead of straining the pasta, I take it out of the water with tongs and put it directly in the sauce.  Some of the starchy cooking liquid will still be on the pasta and it adds flavor.  They do this with pasta in Italy and it's perfect every time.  Also, if your sauce is too thin, add some pasta liquid to it- it thickens up beautifully.