The Pasta of Nostalgia

Pesto cream pasta with garlic shrimp

Approximately three years ago, I encountered a great pasta dish. It wasn't at a restaurant or even at a family/friendsgiving potluck. It was concocted by my sister's friend one morning before a spontaneous trip to San Francisco at the beginning of the summer. We had stayed up late the previous night with a few others and hadn't gotten much sleep. We wanted to embark on our day trip as soon as possible but were beyond hungry. So this friend named Crystal, who I had just met the night before, took the liberty of playing hostess and dug up some ingredients from her boyfriend's fridge to cook us some grub. 

It was nothing fancy but incredibly satisfying. Some pasta, some pesto, some heavy cream and we had ourselves a meal. While we were inhaling the pasta, Crystal expertly flicked some precooked shrimp into our bowls for good measure. Within ten minutes, we were full and ready to hit the road. 

The rest of the day was a fun blur; the 25-cent old school arcade, the ruthless seagulls, the tourist-y stroll to the lazy blobs of sea lions. However, it was really the pesto pasta that stood out in my memory of that relaxing trip. 

I haven't seen or spoken to Crystal and her boyfriend Daniel since that day, but I often find myself thinking about that pasta in the most fleeting of moments. The simplicity of the ingredients, the unassuming gesture of hospitality, and the symbolic representation of all the other accumulated memories that have faded in the backdrop over the course of the years. 

Last week, while I was hungrily going through my refrigerator and kitchen cupboards, I unearthed a half-empty carton of heavy cream, neglected jar of pesto, and handful of shrimp. Immediately, I knew what I was going to make. 

Pesto Cream Pasta with Garlic Shrimp (aka the Pasta of Nostalgia)

Ingredients:

• shrimp
• garlic
• pesto
• heavy cream
• butter/evoo
• salt & pepper

Directions:
To assemble, cook the pasta in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente. While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil or butter in a pan. Throw in some (optional) minced garlic and cook until it starts to release its fragrant garlicky smell. Toss in the shrimp and stir occasionally until pink. Pour in the heavy cream and then the pesto. If you don't want the pesto splattering on your clothes, make sure to put in the heavy cream first! Salt and pepper to taste and stir until slightly thickened. Swirl in the cooked pasta and serve! Feel free to add Parmesan cheese for an extra richness in flavor. 

To conclude this post, the other day, my sister's "Like" of a photo registered in my Facebook notifications. I took a closer look out of curiosity and immediately recognized Crystal and Daniel, newly, happily engaged. They most likely don't remember me or the pesto pasta they generously fed to a couple of hungry friends summers ago, but I'd like to think that the upbeat hospitality still exists--and will continue to exist--wherever they are.