Lemon-Herb Shrimp Pasta

This pasta dish includes an herb butter compound prepared prior to making this dish, or ahead, depending on your schedule. It's a delicious blend of fresh herbs, garlic, wine, and of course, butter. When you mix the fresh herbs into the butter, in a food processor, it turns into a beautiful pastel green color, which reminds me of Spring. Speaking of Spring.....WHERE ARE YOU SPRING??!! I digress...back to the recipe. Still trying to use up that opened bottle of white wine that was barely touched this last visit with family. Perhaps it was the screw top? You will have leftover herb butter, which you could slather on a steak, grilled chicken breast, or a loaf of crusty Italian bread, sliced lengthwise, and toasted under the broiler. Enjoy.

Herb Butter:
1/2 c. butter (2 sticks)-softened at room temp.
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves
Splash of white wine
1/4 c. fresh chives-roughly chopped
1/2 c. fresh basil-torn in half
Combine all ingredients in food processor until well blended, stopping halfway to scrape down sides. Refrigerate. Can be made days ahead.
Pasta:
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
Herb butter
1 lb. Fettuccine (or whatever you have on hand)
1 lb shrimp-thawed
2 Roma tomatoes-chopped
3 green onions-sliced into thin rounds
Juice of half of a lemon
Fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
Start the pasta water, and cook according to package directions. Drain pasta. In a large skillet, add olive oil and 3 T. herb butter until melted over med heat. Add tomatoes, shrimp, and green onions. Stir frequently, tossing shrimp mixture to coat evenly with butter, about 3-5 min. until shrimp are cooked. Add lemon juice and 3 T. more herb butter and continue to coat all shrimp. Return pasta to pot and pour shrimp mixture over pasta, and toss to blend. Pour pasta into a large pasta bowl, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and serve with remaining lemon wedges. Yields 4 main dish servings.