I’ve been very quiet this week. Some technical problems kept me busy and by the end of the day I was too tired to deal with computers so I turned to watching movies and reading books, two activities that I enjoy a lot. But it seems like everything is working fine (for now, it never ends this sh…) and I am back to cooking and posting, yeah baby!

So here I am with a delicious (trust me, this one is worth trying!) pasta dish that is a perfect dinner for Lent since no meat is involved. As usual the preparation is very simple, but that doesn’t mean I had to sacrifice flavor. To contrary, simple is best, right?

Also this post is to announce that I will be hosting one of my favorite food events this week. Presto Pasta Nights turned just turned 2 last week and there was a huge celebration. It is an honor to be the first host for the third year of this great event. Thanks Ruth and everybody else who makes this pasta party possible every week.

If you want to participate this week, just read the guidelines here and send your entries to ben[dot]herrera[at]whatscooking[dot]us and cc to ruth[at]everykitchen[dot]com. And now to the delicious recipe.

Poblano spaghetti with garlic shrimp
Makes 4 servings

The ingredients:

• 1/2 lb thin spaghetti
• 2 poblano peppers, roasted and cleaned
• 4 oz queso doble crema or cream cheese
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 onion finely chopped
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 garlic head, finely chopped
• 2 TBSP butter
• 1 lb large shrimp, cleaned
• salt and pepper to taste

The how-to:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. (Don’t forget the salt)
2. Blend together poblanos, cheese and whole milk until smooth.
3. In a large sauce pan heat olive oil and saute onion until translucent.
4. Pour the sauce into the pan, add Parmesan cheese, season and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes stirring constantly. Add pasta to the pan and toss to cover it with the poblano sauce.
5. Add butter to a large skillet. When it starts to bubble add garlic and saute until it starts turning golden brown. Add shrimp and cook until it turns pink, about 4 minutes. Mix well with garlic.
6. Serve shrimp over noodles and enjoy.

The afterthoughts:

• I wouldn’t change anything from this recipe. The shrimp is similar to the mojo de ajo recipe I published last May with some changes. One of my favorite ways to eat shrimp is with tons of garlic and this dish is just a great combination of flavors.

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¡Buen provecho!