Cruisin' and Lemon Pepper Shrimp Pasta

In December I was lucky enough to go on a Backstreet Boys Caribbean cruise with two of my best friends.  It was amazing and very entertaining!!  When we were booking, I was a little bit nervous about eating on the ship, but the two times I called Carnival Cruise lines prior to the cruise they ensured me that there would be many gluten free options.  My experience ended up being quite good.  For breakfast and lunch we usually ate at the buffet and the chefs on hand were very helpful at answering questions about what I could and could not eat.  One day they even made fresh fish and potatoes for me on request.

In the evenings we ate in the dinning room and they would have the menu for the next day in which I could pick any appetizer, entree and dessert and they would prepare it gluten free, plus they had gluten free bread available.  I even experienced my first Chocolate Lava Flow Cake which was to die for! The dinners were delicious, but one thing was constant, fish was always a safe and delicious option.  Since I love seafood, this was a great and viable option.   

Since the cruise, I have been craving seafood non stop! As a family we love almost all seafood, we are still working on my one daughter and shrimp.  However I wish I was better at cooking a great variety of seafood, it is still a work in process.  This Lemon Pepper Shrimp Pasta recipe is easy and can be made with any vegetable on hand or a side salad.  Hope you enjoy!

 Lemon Pepper Shrimp Pasta

1 package Gluten Free Corkscrew Pasta or other pasta
1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup yellow onion, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 pound fresh shrimp with tails removed
1 cubed zucchini (or other vegetable: mushrooms, peppers, etc)
1 tbsp butter
2 tsps fresh basil
Garnish with Parmesan or Gruyere cheese (optional)

1. Bring a pot of water to boil.  Add oil to water to prevent gluten free pasta from sticking. Add pasta to water, resume to boil and cook for 12-15 minutes until al dente.  Drain and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and saute for a minute. Add chicken broth, wine, lemon juice and black pepper.  Simmer until liquid is reduced by half.
3. Add shrimp, zucchini, butter and basil and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until shrimp are cooked through.
4. Add pasta to saucepan and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until pasta is well coated and liquid is absorbed.
5. Garnish with cheese