Every month the newest issue of Cooking Light comes out I get very excited.  As I have mentioned before my issue gets delivered to my mom’s house in the states so I can only get it when I go down for a visit.  I have a ritual when I comes to reading this magazine which entails flipping through the magazine quickly glancing at all the recipes and articles.  The second time through the magazine I look at all of the recipes and starting thinking about the ones I want to make.  My third pass through the magazine involves reading all of the articles that I previously skipped over. 

My favourite part about this magazine is that after I have made my three passes through the magazine and decided the ones I am going to make the upcoming week I put it on the shelf with the rest of them and wait for the day I come back to it for inspiration.  Some weeks I don’t make anything from Cooking Light and other weeks I am a crazy person and make 2 or 3 recipes.

The recipe I was inspired by this time was for Shrimp and Pine Nut Pasta from the October 09 issues.  I am always looking for recipes that have protein besides chicken and beef.  Growing up in the Pacific Northwest and than moving to the West Coast of Canada I have always lived near the sea and therefore have grown to love seafood.  This dish caught my attention because of it’s simplicity, I could just tell it was going to be a wonderful dish.

This dish will not disappoint you and I really recommend trying it out.  I look forward to taking this dish and added a bit of myself to it.

Shrimp and Pine Nut Pasta

8 ounces uncooked spaghetti

12 ounces peeled and deveined shrimp

2 tablespoons pine nuts

1 cup skim milk, divided

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves

Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add pasta; cook 7 minutes. Add shrimp to pan; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done and pasta is al dente. Drain; keep warm.

While pasta cooks, heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add nuts to pan; cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned.

Combine 1/2 cup milk and flour in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Place pan over medium heat; gradually stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk. Stir in mustard and nutmeg. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 5 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken, stirring constantly. Stir in salt and pepper; cook 1 minute. Add drained pasta mixture, cheese, and chopped basil, tossing gently to combine. Sprinkle with nuts and torn basil.