Best Shrimp And Fennel Pasta Recipes

SHRIMP AND FENNEL WITH PASTA SHELLS

Shrimp and Fennel With Pasta Shells image

This is a quick and flavorful dish that I pieced together from a half-remembered cooking show. The licorice flavor of the fennel works well with the shrimp and red pepper. In addition to being fast, it also reheats exceptionally well. I've always done the ingredients by eye, so all measurements should be treated as approximate. With a little planning you can do a lot of the prep and cooking in parallel. May be used as a main dish or as a side.

Provided by Chef Grizzly

Categories Pasta Shells

Time 20m

Yield 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

2 -3 tablespoons olive oil
3 -5 garlic cloves
1 lb med-large shrimp, shelled & deveined (shrimp should be about the same size as your pasta shells)
2 cups medium pasta shells (cooked volume should approximately equal volume of shrimp)
1 large fennel bulb, with greens (or 2 med)
salt
red pepper flakes
1/8 cup fine grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Steps:

In a large pot bring water to a boil. If you have them handy, toss in a few shrimp shells to flavor the water. Be sure to remove them before putting in the pasta.
Cook pasta according to manufacturer's directions.
Remove & drain cooked pasta from water with slotted spoon, reserving about 2 cups of liquid.
Bring another pot of water to boil to blanch the fennel.
While the water is heating, cut the greens off the fennel, remove the tough outer layer and quarter the bulbs. Keep the greens.
Blanche fennel for 30-seconds to 1 minute in boiling water.
Finely chop the leafy greens for use as a garnish.
Slice blanched fennel bulb to pieces about the same size as the shrimp.
In a large sauté pan heat olive oil over med-high heat.
Slice/dice/crush garlic & sauté in hot oil (the finer the garlic, the stronger the flavor. For very mild flavor, slice the garlic thick & remove before adding any other ingredients).
Add shrimp and some pepper flakes to pan. Cook shrimp in oil, about 1 minute each side.
Remove shrimp from pan.
Add fennel pieces to pan, and sauté for 1-2 minutes with pepper flakes to taste.
Reduce heat to med and add pasta to pan, along with 1 1/2 cup of pasta water. The pasta water will form a creamy sauce.
Stir while cooking about 2 minutes. If sauce cooks down too quickly or is not enough, add more pasta water.
Add salt and pepper flakes to taste.
Add shrimp back & stir to evenly coat with sauce.
Just before serving toss in about 2 tablespoons of chopped fennel greens and parmesan cheese. Make any final salt/pepper adjustments.
Serve garnished with additional fennel greens.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 350.9, Fat 8.8, SaturatedFat 1.4, Cholesterol 220.9, Sodium 289.8, Carbohydrate 36.8, Fiber 3.4, Sugar 0.8, Protein 30.1

PASTA SALAD WITH SHRIMP, ROASTED PEPPERS, AND FENNEL

Pasta Salad with Shrimp, Roasted Peppers, and Fennel image

Categories Salad Pasta No-Cook Pine Nut Shrimp Fennel Bell Pepper Summer Bon Appétit

Yield Makes 6 main-course servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

5 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
4 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 pound farfalle (bow-tie) pasta, freshly cooked, rinsed, drained
1 pound cooked deveined peeled shrimp, cut lengthwise in half
3 7.25-ounce jars roasted red peppers, drained, sliced, juices reserved
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced fresh fennel bulb
3/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

Steps:

Whisk first 4 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Add remaining ingredients and toss to blend. Add enough reserved roasted pepper juices by tablespoonfuls to moisten if salad is dry. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

SHRIMP AND FENNEL PASTA

SHRIMP AND FENNEL PASTA image

Categories Pasta

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

1 tablespoon each olive oil and butter
1 small bulb fennel, halved vertically and thinly sliced
1 small yellow onion, halved vertically and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
A few tablespoons dry white wine
5 ounces spaghetti or other pasta
8 ounces cooked peeled shrimp
1-2 tablespoons black olive tapenade
1/2 cup sheep's milk Romano cheese (or Parmesan)

Steps:

Heat the butter and oil over medium heat. (I may have used more than called for here.) Add the fennel and onion, stir, and saute until starting to soften. Put the pasta water on to boil. Reduce the heat on the fennel mixture to medium-low, add the garlic, and stir until fragrant. Add a splash of the wine to deglaze, reduce heat to low, and continue to cook, with one or more additions of wine as needed, while you cook the pasta. When the pasta is almost done, stir the shrimp into the fennel mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper. The shrimp should release a bit more moisture into the mixture to create a bit of sauce. Drain the pasta, return to the pot, and toss it with the tapenade and half the cheese. Serve onto plates and top with the fennel mixture and the rest of the cheese. Serves 2. Note: For a brighter flavor, might try substituting water for the wine and adding a squeeze of lemon to the fennel at the end.