Rating: 3.5 out of 5 – Delicious components, but missing something, flavour-wise.

THE TEST

First you roast some plum tomatoes (local grocer wasn’t carrying them, so opted for cocktail size) in red wine vinegar and olive oil, season them, cool them, and grate them into a rustic sauce. Crisp some bread crumbs (I used Panko flakes) in a pan with lemon zest, crushed red pepper, and olive oil. Boil some pasta until al dente. Stir fry the shrimp and combine it with the pasta and some shredded basil. Garnish it with cherry tomatoes and the Panko mixture. Lovely!

THE RESULTS

So how was it? A little underwhelming, I’m sorry to say. The shrimp were definitely a highlight: plump, juicy and and with a touch of heat from the red pepper. The Panko mixture was also a great addition, and one I’ll likely use again and again. But there really was something missing. The pasta itself was a little on the dull side. The tomato sauce wasn’t as zingy as I imagined it would be, though that probably has more to do with the quality of the tomatoes than the recipe. And the cherry tomatoes on top would have benefitted from being warmed in the pan, too, to get their flavours and juices going.

That said, it certainly wasn’t the worst way to spend a warm, sunny Sunday evening to myself, with Ethel the cat for company and Muddy Waters creating some atmosphere. And those shrimp really made up for a lot!

For wine, the recipe recommended an unoaked Chardonnay to pair with the acidity of the tomatoes, so this Townsend Jack from the Okanagan Valley, BC was recommended to me by the people over at Harvest Wines & Spirits. I wonder if Jasmine has ever tried this wine, or Kendall from Wine2Three? Admittedly, I think I prefer the oak – taste wise – but it did pair nice and lightly with the pasta.

I’ll head over to Cook That Book later today to see how Jasmine fared with this recipe. Maybe she had better luck with her tomato sauce? Or her pasta?

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