Shrimp with Gremolata and Pasta

I always think I should have been born Italian, only because I have had a love affair with their food and wines for years. Tonight's dinner consisted of shrimp with a gremolata and onion sauce over pasta. Gremolata is the Italian word for ground or crushed and usually is a mix of parsley, garlic and lemon zest, although I have seen some versions with orange zest and addition of a variety of herbs. It turned out really well. Sometimes, I surprise myself.



Ingredients:

16 oz thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta, cooked according to package directions and drained
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 medium cloves of garlic, minced
Zest of 2 lemons
1/2 cup chopped fresh parley
2 teaspoons of chopped fresh thyme
1 pound fresh medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix the onion, garlic, lemon zest, parsley and thyme in a bowl. Set aside. Saute the shrimp in olive oil and butter in a frying pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the gremolata mixture and sautee over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the half-and-half and cheese until the sauce thicken slightly. Serve over hot pasta.