Shrimp is the perfect weeknight meal. Why? Because they cook so fast your food is done in no time. Plus, they’re delicious. This is a super simple pasta meal — it combines leeks (basically mild green onions, don’t be scared) with lemon, garlic and white wine, and a hit of red pepper flake for a tasty dinner. It’s a Rachael Ray recipe that really might only take 30 minutes! For reals.

TW’s Tips

• To clean the leeks, chop off the upper part of the leek where it starts turning from light green to dark green. Cut the bottom in half lengthwise then cut into half moons and drop them into a bowl of water. All kinds of dirt gets stuck between the layers, so you need to swish them around then let it sit for a minute so the dirt sinks to the bottom of the bowl. Then fish out the leeks and dry them on a towel.
• You can choose to keep the tails on your shrimp or take off the whole shell.
• I buy the shrimp that are tail-on but already shelled so you don’t have to mess with that.
• I added mushrooms to this since I had some hanging around and it wasn’t that bad! Then again, I like mushrooms on everything.

Enjoy!

Leeky Linguine with Shrimp

Ingredients

• 1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
• 2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 pound fresh linguine
• 4 leeks trimmed, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise and washed
• 1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth
• 1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (a generous handful)

Directions

In a bowl, toss the shrimp with 2 tablespoons EVOO, the lemon peel, garlic and crushed red pepper; season with salt and black pepper.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 5 minutes.

While the pasta is working, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, season with salt and black pepper and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Push the leeks to the side of the pan, add the shrimp to the skillet and cook until pink and firm. Pour in the wine and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add the pasta to the skillet; season with salt and black pepper. Add the parsley and toss.