This recipe is based off of the first meal my husband ever made for me (he used to be so romantic) - Shrimp Arrabbiata. Something you should know about my husband: he's from Southeast Texas so he loves shell fish and spicy food, ergo Shrimp Arrabbiata. What can I say? I like 'em hot and spicy. Haha!
Back to business. Arrabbiato means "angry" in Italian, lending its name to this dish because of the spicy kick it gets from the crushed red pepper. As usual, feel free to adjust the heat to your tasting by simply increasing (or decreasing) the amount of crushed red pepper you use. Let's begin.
Here's what we need for the sauce:
Begin by chopping lots and lots and lots of Roma tomatoes (10-12).
Cooking tip: When cutting tomatoes, use a serrated knife to easily cut through the tough skins.
Once you have your tomatoes chopped, heat your oil over medium heat (because you don't want to burn your garlic or else it will taste bitter) ...
... then add your chopped garlic and cook until fragrant (about a minute).
Next, throw in your tomatoes, sauce, salt, red pepper, and any extra seasonings you want to add (I usually toss in a little thyme and oregano). Don't add the basil yet!
Mix it all together, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes (the tomatoes will break down during this time and all their juices will come out). Add your basil during the last 5 minutes of simmer time.
Meanwhile, prepare your pasta according to package directions. I prefer short twisty noodles like Gemelli because they tend to hold the sauce better.
During the last 10 minutes of simmering, begin cooking your shrimp.
Heat your oil over medium heat, then add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add your shrimp (make sure you've patted them dry, otherwise the excess water will seep out and boil the shrimp instead of saute them).
Add the salt and lemon zest and cook the shrimp until opaque. Add the lemon juice and basil during the final minute.
At this point, assuming you've timed everything perfectly (it takes a few times), everything should be coming off the stove at the same time. Serve family style or individually. Garnish with fresh basil and parmesan cheese and enjoy!
P.S. This is a very garlic-y meal so make sure you really really like the person you're cooking it for. That's all. :)
Shrimp
Arrabbiata
Sauce Ingredients:
¼ C. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
10-12 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 small can plain tomato sauce
2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
¼ fresh basil, chopped
Shrimp Ingredients:
1-1.5 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice and zest from ½ lemon
2 Tbsp. basil, chopped
Pasta:
1 lb. Gemelli noodles
½ tsp. salt
Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Directions:
Heat ¼ C. olive oil in large, heavy skillet over medium
heat. Add garlic and stir until
fragrant (about 1 min.). Add diced
tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir to
combine. Add salt, crushed red
pepper, thyme, and oregano. Bring
mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
Once boiling, turn heat down and simmer sauce for 20 minutes. Add basil to sauce during the last 5
minutes of simmer time.
Meanwhile, boil 4-6 quarts of water and salt in a large
pot. Add gemelli noodles, and
stir. Return water to a boil and
cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until “al dente” – about 12
minutes. Drain noodles.
While noodles, and sauce are cooking, heat remaining Tbsp.
olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add shrimp and lemon zest, and sauté
over medium-high heat until shrimp is opaque, about 3 minutes per side. During final minute of cooking, add
lemon juice and basil to shrimp and toss to coat.
Serve noodles, topped with sauce and shrimp. Garnish individual servings with Parmesan
cheese. Buon Apetito!
