Garlic and Lemon Shrimp Pasta

This is a wonderful pasta dish that's a little lighter thanks to the bright flavors of the lemon and the firmer texture and earthier flavor of the whole wheat spaghetti, perfect for the rising temperatures of spring and summer.  Using arugula instead of the typical spinach is another slight twist.  It's quickly and easily made for any number of people and is great for lunch or dinner.

• Boil water for your pasta.
• In a large pan, combine 3 tbsp butter with 2 minced cloves of garlic, a pinch of salt, and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.
• After about a minute or two, add the juice of half a lemon.
• Let the sauce simmer on low heat while your pasta cooks.  Taste and adjust seasonings and the lemon to butter ratio.
• When you pasta is cooked, transfer it to the pan with the sauce.  Give it a stir to coat all the noodles.
• Add a generous amount of arugula and toss.  The arugula will reduce as it cooks, so add more than you think you need.  You just want to wilt the arugula; don't cook it until it's dark and mushy.
• Transfer the past to a serving plate.
• Turn up the heat on the burner under the now empty (but still lemon-buttery) pan.
• Once the pan is nice and hot, add the shrimp.  Make sure they are not precooked, or you will end up with tough and shriveled shrimp.  You can use frozen shrimp, but they should be completely thawed first.  You should hear a nice sizzle when you place them in the pan.
• Turn the shrimp after about 30 seconds (they should have a nice sear mark on them) and cook on the other side.
• Promptly remove them from the pan and serve on top of the pasta.

Enjoy!