Fettuccine with Tomatoes, Shrimp and Hearts of Palm

It's been a while I have posted any recipes in this blog. I had decided to stop posting but I guess, well, I still have some contributions to it!

So here is a recipe I came up with yesterday and it turned out really delicious!

The heart of palm blends in with the fettuccine in such a way that you can’t see it but the taste is intriguing and delicious! I used brown rice pasta with is a little lighter an smoother than wheat.

The only problem was the shrimp: I can't seem to find good tasting shrimp anymore. We've got wild American shrimp and it tasted like dirt! If you have any tips on where/how to get great tasting shrimp, please share.

Fettuccine with Tomatoes, Shrimp and Hearts of Palm

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 lb fresh or frozen and thawed medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

½ teaspoon lemon zest

1 small onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced, divided

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes or fresh tomatoes (summer)

½ cup dry white wine or nonalcoholic white wine

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

½ can hearts of palm

¾ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

8 ounces dry pasta

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

Shred hearts of palm lengthwise in strips: they don’t need to be too thin as they will kind of melt later. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add ½ the garlic, shrimp and ½ teaspoon lemon zest and cook until pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove shrimp from pan and reserve. Add onions and remaining garlic. Cook 5 minutes until onions are transparent. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, wine and vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 to 25 minutes. Add shrimp, heart of palm, remaining lemon zest and parsley, reserving 1 teaspoon of parsley for decoration, toss well and remove from heat.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Divide pasta into 4 individual bowls. Top with sauce,  parsley and Parmesan if using. Some people think that cheese should not be served in a seafood dish. It’s up to you, if you like you, just have it!