Penne with Shrimp & Salmon in Garlic Parmesan Creme

It's been over a year since I contributed a recipe to this section of the blog.  Frankly, lots of things changed in my life since the birth of this site.  Somehow I managed to become a baby public figure - go figure - and have been traveling ridiculously for the months.  I went through loss, pain, highs and holy shit moments.  When I have the opportunity to cook in my safe space, it's an absolute treasure that I don't take lightly.  My video blurbs are typically lodged in a collection of 24 hour Instagram stories; my viewers have asked for typed out recipes.  Realistically, I am a one woman team with my blog and because I'm sorta-kinda a control freak, I haven't recruited help as of yet.  Nevertheless, between Facebook and Instagram, I guess I need to give y'all what you want.  I'll do my best to post some of my favorites twice a month; I make no promises since I'm training for a 100K, 3 marathons and the Ironman 70.3 at the moment -- Enjoy!

---

What You Need

Penne

• 1/2 Pound Penne (Full Pound if you're a pasta lover)
• Salt (I prefer Kosher or Sea Salt but I'm not Jesus Christ -- do your thing)
• Water (Enough water to bring to a rapid boil and your pasta will not be screaming for help -- 4 quart pot/2 quarts of water
• Decent brand of olive oil or olive oil blend
• Garlic Powder
• Italian Seasonings (Dried or fresh; parsley, basil and oregano combined is great)
• Black (or White) Pepper
• Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)
• Minced and Lightly Sauteed Garlic (4 - 5 Cloves in Olive Oil is just enough) (Optional)

Salmon & Shrimp

• 1 pound salmon, sliced into 4 -8 servings, depending on your preference for portion sizes
• 1/2 pound shrimp, cleaned and deveined (Personal preference: Large to Extra Large)
• 1 1/2 - 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil (One of your choice with a high smoking point which means please don't use extra virgin olive oil unless you want to choke for dear life when it hits the hot pan
• Salt (I prefer Kosher or Sea Salt because it breaks down over the course of cooking time and don't go crazy with it)
• Black Pepper
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Garlic Powder

Garlic Parmesan Creme Sauce

• 2 cups 2% milk (Traditionally it's heavy cream for a richer flavor but I'm lactose intolerant as hell and I'm on a budget)
• 1 Tablespoon flour
• 1/2 medium onion, medium chop
• 5 - 6 garlic cloves, rough chop
• 1/2 c. white wine (It can be a white cooking wine from Goya to a bottle of white that's not too sweet - not dessert wine - that's sitting around waiting for company)
• 1/3 c. parmesan cheese (I prefer rough slithers/chop but you can substitute for some halfway decent grated parmesan cheese from the supermarket.  It depends on if your budget and culinary palate -- I'm damn sure not judging because I'm broke)
• 2 cups of fresh spinach (if frozen, defrost in advance because extra liquid with change time on thickening of sauce
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes

---

The Rundown

1. In a 4 quart (or larger) pot, start boiling water for pasta; add in a bit of salt.  Place another pot or skillet on medium-high fire to start your salmon.  When pan is hot, add in olive oil to pan.
2. Season your salmon and shrimp with garlic powder, salt and pepper.  
3. Add salmon skin side down to pan, cooking around 3 - 4 minutes per side.  Once cooked through, set aside on separate plate.  If water is rapidly boiling in the pasta pot, cook penne until al dente (unless you don't like a firm feel to your pasta and 1 -2 more minutes should work).  Depending on the company, the time can range from 8 - 10 minutes for al dente and 10 - 12 for thoroughly cooked before it turns mushy.  When pasta reaches finish time, drain liquid but don't rinse.  This is a personal preference thing and a lot of my Sicilian buddies side eyed me when I used to do it.  Do whatever works for you.  After it's boiled and drained, toss with olive oil to prevent sticking, season lightly with black pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and sauteed garlic.  Set aside. 
4. Reduce salmon pan's fire down to low and add in onions.  Saute for a minute or two then add in garlic for one minute.  Onions should turn translucent and garlic should brown, not burn.  Incorporate red pepper flakes at this time.
5. Increase heat to medium-high fire and add in white wine.  Cook until reduced by half, approximately 4 minutes.  NOTE:  Pouring directly from the bottle is cool but on rare occasions, that wine could catch kickback into a bottle.  If you're nervous about your free pour, put wine into a measuring cup or plastic cup and pour into mixture.  It's worth the extra dish for the nervous cook.
6. In a separate cup or bowl, mix together milk (or heavy cream) with tablespoon of flour.  Milk should be cold or milk temperature.  Mixing flour or cornstarch while warm will create lumps into your sauce...unless you like whipping something for a long time.
7. Add in milk/heavy cream mixture to salmon pan, a dash of salt, pepper and parmesan cheese.  Stir lightly to mix everything together, then add spinach.  
8. Place raw shrimp and cooked salmon back into the pan and lower fire to a simmer.  Around 5 minute mark, add in cherry tomatoes.  Allow dish to cook for an additional 2 - 3 minutes.  Serve.  Enjoy.  Devour.  Go for seconds.

---

Personal Thoughts

This meal was sex in my mouth but I know some people might be looking for other options.  For those who aren't into pasta, great alternatives are rice, butternut squash, zucchini pasta or even a vegetable medley.  If I wanted to go lighter, I would pair with a garlicky kale and chopped grilled asparagus.  This seafood dish is quick and can be done in under 45 minutes.  As a busy mother and wife - professional chef or not - I don't want to spend hours in the kitchen everyday.  With small tweaks, you can easily eat this meal for lunch or dinner. 

Love and Light,

Latoya Shauntay