LINGUINE WITH SHRIMP AND LEMON-PISTACHIO BREAD CRUMBS

Linguine With Shrimp and Lemon-Pistachio Bread Crumbs image

Pangrattato, or bread crumbs in Italian, is the secret star of this dish. When mixed with sweet pistachios, bright lemon zest and fresh mint, it makes for a crunchy, flavorful topping that pairs well with garlicky shrimp and linguine. The citrus and herbs provide welcome complexity to an otherwise simple dish. Serve with a shaved vegetable salad of fennel, radishes and Parmesan.

Provided by Colu Henry

Categories dinner, lunch, quick, weekday, pastas, main course

Time 25m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

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Ingredients

Kosher salt
1 pound linguine
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 cup chicken stock
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup roughly chopped Italian parsley
1/2 lemon, for serving
Flaky salt, for serving (optional)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons raw pistachios, finely chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest, from 1 lemon
3 tablespoons finely chopped mint or Italian parsley
Flaky salt

Steps:

Bring a large pot of well-salted water (2 heaping tablespoons kosher salt to about 7 quarts water) to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until it is just short of al dente, according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, and drain.
Meanwhile, prepare the bread crumbs: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch skillet with sides over medium-low heat, add the panko bread crumbs, and toast, stirring frequently, until golden, about 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer the crumbs to a small bowl and toss together with the pistachios, lemon zest and mint and season with flaky salt. Set aside. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel.
Season the shrimp well with salt and pepper. In the skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat, add the shrimp and sauté until just cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes a side. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Stir in the garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute, making sure the garlic doesn't burn.
Add the chicken stock, raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Scrape up any brown bits that have formed at the bottom of the pan and cook until reduced by half, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the butter and cook until it's melted and the sauce becomes emulsified.
Turn the heat to low, add the pasta, shrimp and parsley to the skillet and toss until glossy with sauce. Add some of the reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen up the sauce. Top with half the bread crumbs and a good squeeze of lemon. Serve in bowls and pass the remaining bread crumbs at the table. Drizzle with additional olive oil and season with flaky salt, if desired.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 561, UnsaturatedFat 15 grams, Carbohydrate 64 grams, Fat 24 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 23 grams, SaturatedFat 7 grams, Sodium 534 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams