SEAFOOD ESSENTIALS: SPICY SHRIMP & PASTA

Seafood Essentials: Spicy Shrimp & Pasta image

This is a simple dish to prepare. As a matter of fact, you can have it on the table in 20 minutes. But don't let the speed of this recipe fool you, because it's packed with wonderful flavors. Include a plate with some fresh garden greens, with a splash of balsamic, some freshly baked crusty Italian or French bread, and you...

Provided by Andy Anderson !

Categories Seafood

Time 20m

Number Of Ingredients 14

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Ingredients

PLAN/PURCHASE
fresh pasta, cooked al dente
1/2 c chicken stock, not broth
1 1/2 tsp flour, all purpose variety
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb peeled/deveined shrimp (21/25 count)
3 clove garlic, finely sliced
1 c cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
3 Tbsp sweet butter, cold, unsalted, and cut into cubes
1/2 tsp paprika, sweet or hot, your choice
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
salt, kosher variety, to taste

Steps:

1. PREP/PREPARE
2. Gather your ingredients.
3. Chef's Tip: For this dish to come together, you need all your ingredients prepped and ready to go; including the pasta.
4. Whisk together the chicken stock with the flour, and reserve.
5. Add the oil to a sauté pan over medium-high heat.
6. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the shrimp.
7. Sauté the shrimp for about 90 seconds
8. Chef's Tip: When you cook the shrimp they need to be cool, but not cold... and definitely not frozen..
9. Add the garlic and tomatoes to the pan.
10. Stir into the shrimp, and sauté for an additional 30 seconds.
11. Add the reserved chicken stock/flour mixture to the pan.
12. Bring to the boil, and cook for an additional minute.
13. Chef's Note: The broth should begin to thicken.
14. Reduce heat to low and begin adding the cubes of butter.
15. Chef's Note: Add one cube at a time, allow it to incorporate into the sauce, and then add another. Repeat until all the butter has been added to the sauce.
16. Add the lemon juice, paprika, cayenne, and then season with salt and pepper, to taste.
17. Chef's Note: The cayenne and the black pepper are variables in this dish. When Old Man Winter is howling, and the skies are grey with the promise of snow, I'll add a bit more heat to warm my houseguests up. However, when the warm winds of Spring begin to blow, I'll lower, or even eliminate the heat, and serve as a light Spring/Summer dish. Good chefs understand that spices can be very seasonal.
18. Chef's Tip: If you are not using freshly made chicken stock, then watch the salt. Most commercial chicken stocks have a lot of sodium in them.
19. Chef's Tip: This is one shrimp/pasta recipe where I don't recommend finishing the dish with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. In my opinion it upsets the delicate pairing of the sauce with the shrimp. You can add it if you want, but try one bite without it... just one.
20. Chef's Note: If you have never made fresh pasta, you should give it a try.
21. PLATE/PRESENT
22. Serve immediately over a warm bed of fresh pasta. Include a small side salad and some nice freshly baked bread, and you have a great meal. Enjoy.
23. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.
24. RECOMMENDED ADDITIONS
25. Homemade Pasta - ala Andy https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/main-course/pasta/master-recipe-egg-noodle-dough.html?p=16
26. Chicken Stock - ala Andy https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/soup/other-soup/hearty-chicken-stock-ala-cia.html?p=1
27. Italian Bread - ala Zelda https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/bread/other-bread/italian-bread-for-the-bread-machine.html?p=15
28. Gluten Free French Bread - ala Bonnie https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/main-course/french/gluten-free-french-bread-bonnies.html?p=2