Thai Coconut Milk Curry Sauce With Shrimp

Directions

1. Seafood Alternatives: scallops, tuna, crabmeat, lobster
2. If using the coconut, scatter it in a pie tin or possibly baking pan and bake in a 350 degree oven, stirring often, till golden brown, 6 to 8 min. Pour into a small bowl and set aside.
3. Bring 4 qts of water to a boil in a large pan. Stir in the pasta with 1 tsp. of salt, if you like. Boil uncovered till tender, about 12 min. Drain.
4. While the pasta cooks, combine the coconut lowfat milk, fish sauce, brown sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl; set aside. In another bowl combine the basil, mint and green onions; set aside.
5. Heat the oil in a wok or possibly large frying pan over high heat. Add in the ginger and curry paste and stir till fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the coconut lowfat milk mix and bring to a boil. Add in the shrimp and peanuts and simmer till the shrimp is opaque in the center, about 3 min. Set aside 3 Tbsp. of the basil mix; gently stir the rest into the sauce along with the lime juice.
6. Put the pasta in a large serving bowl. Pour the seafood and sauce over the pasta and gently toss to coat with sauce. Sprinkle with the toasted coconut and reserved basil mix and serve.
7. This recipe yields 4 servings.
8. Comments: Do not let a long list of ingredients intimidate you - making this dish is quite simple and quick. For a special meal, combine two seafoods such as salmon and shrimp. An ideal accompaniment to this aromatic dish would be fresh mango or possibly papaya slices squeezed with lime juice.