Conchiglie (shells) with english peas and a white wine butter sauce

First a bit of honesty. I was planning to make a beef stew, but due to some major failings in that dish, I have decided not to include it in today's entry. Rather than blog on both the vegetarian dish and the meat dish, I'm going to only describe the recipe for the one that turned out well.

While I'm sure the following recipe for my white wine sauce is not really mine at all, I followed no recipe and have been making it for a while. You can change it around, and still end up with a very delectable white wine sauce with a touch of herbs.

White Wine and Butter Sauce (1 serving)

1-2 Tbl butter (in this case, margarine)
1/4 cup white wine (Chilean Sauvignon Blanc)
Several sprigs of sage, rosemary and thyme
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 Tbl lemon juice
1 medium shallot
Salt
Pepper

The above amounts, as previously stated are estimates, but are about what I would use for one portion. Heat diced shallot in a small pan with the butter on low/medium until shallot is translucent. Add herbs, as desired. For ease of removal, keep them in large sprigs. Add half of desired wine and stock. Increase heat to medium. Reduce by half, about 5 minutes. Add dash of salt, pepper and lemon juice. Simmer 2 minutes more. Add remaining wine and stock and simmer for another 3-4 minutes.

To prepare the peas, steam them for only about 6-7 minutes, or until tender. Do not over cook. You can shock the peas in cold or ice water to prevent them from continuing to cook.

Prepare pasta to be ready at the same time as the pasta. Strain and return to pot. Add peas and sauce and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!