Shrimp Scampi Pasta
This is a pasta I did not know I needed. Most times i’ve had this dish it was oily, the shrimp was over cooked and it just was not a fully integrated dish. I have found answers to all three of those problems and I think this is truly special and as good as pasta gets.
Ingredients
- 375 g 16/20 EZ-peel shrimp, yields ~275g/9 ½ oz peeled & cut
- 3 g kosher salt
- 3 T olive oil
- 100 g shallot, finely diced
- 50 g garlic, finely chopped or pressed
- 10 g Calabrian chiles, chopped
- 250 g white wine
- 500 g clam juice, + ~200g/¾ cup extra as needed
- 225 g angel hair pasta
- 75 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 15 g parsley, finely chopped
- zest of ½ lemon
- parmesan, for finishing
Instructions
- Prep shrimp: Peel shrimp, cut into ½–¾" oblique pieces. You should have ~275g. Toss the shrimp with 3g salt and chill in the refrigerator.
- Aromatics: In a heavy pot over medium, heat olive oil. Add shallot, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Sweat 5–6 minutes, stirring, until soft and translucent with no browning. Add Calabrian chiles and cook 2 minutes until oil is fragrant and orange.
- Wine: deglaze with 250g of white wine and simmer. Reduce until almost dry (au sec), about 2 minutes.
- Cook the pasta in the sauce: Add 500g clam juice, bring to a lively simmer. Add 225g angel hair pasta directly to the liquid, stirring to submerge. Cook for roughly 2 minutes, stirring, until just shy of al dente.
- Add shrimp: Stir in salted shrimp. Add splashes of clam juice (or water/stock) as needed to keep saucy. Cook until shrimp turn mostly pink and pasta is tender.
- Finish: Add cold butter cubes, parsley, and lemon zest. Stir vigorously until butter emulsifies into a creamy, satiny sauce. Adjust with more clam juice if tight.
- Serve: Twirl the pasta into bowls and top with shrimp, more parsley, and parmesan.
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