I tried an interesting recipe last night to see if it would work for company:
From Albuquerquean food writer Denice Skrepcinski:
Margarita Shrimp Pasta
1 lb cooked penne or favorite pasta
1/2 cup green chile, roasted, peeled, seeds removed, chopped
24 large shrimp, shells removed, cleaned and butterflied
3 Tbs butter
3 Tbs tequila
Juice from 3 limes
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup half-and-half
2 tsp lime zest
Melt butter in large frying pan, add shrimp and green chile. Saute til shrimp turn pink. Remove shrimp and keep them warm.
Increase heat, add tequila and lime juice and lime zest. Slowly stirring, add half-and-half and heavy cream, and cook until thickened.
Return shrimp and green chile mixture to cream sauce. Add cooked pasta and heat through.
Garnish with fried tortilla chips or chopped cilantro.
(I used a bit of cilantro, which added a nice color.)
Thumbs up. The dish was light and the lime added a pleasant twist.