Caprese Summer Pasta with Shrimp

Hey-o! Sorry I've been gone so long. I needed to take a little break to travel, prepare for an upcoming event I'm doing Memorial Day weekend (more on that later!) and do some fundraising.
I made this pasta for dinner last week, and it earned rave reviews. I served it hot, but you could also serve it cold, or even in place of a pasta salad at a picnic. It's fresh and the flavors are bold, and that makes it a perfect dish as the weather gets warmer.

I used gemelli pasta for this recipe, because I think the spirals hold onto the sauce better, and I like the denser texture. If you have all the other ingredients, by all means don't go to the store -- use what you have on hand for pasta!

Enjoy!

Caprese Summer Pasta with Shrimp
Serves 4

Ingredients
8 ounces gemelli (or your favorite pasta)
1/2 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined*
1 pint of grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
4 ounces goat cheese (NOT herbed)
1 cup raw spinach
2 tablespoons salted butter
3 cloves of garlic,* minced
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup pasta water, reserved*
salt for pasta water
pepper

Tools
large pot for pasta
large sautee pan
grill*

Boil water for pasta, cook pasta as directed, reserving about half a cup of salted water. WHILE the water boils...

Remove tails from shrimp. Toss in a bowl to coat with olive oil. Salt and pepper to season. Grill until the shrimp turn pink on both sides, turning once. Put aside.

In large sautee pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add garlic, spinach and tomatoes. Stirring frequently, cooking for 3 or 4 minutes or until spinach is completely wilted.

When pasta is done, drain (do NOT rinse) and toss into pan with tomatoes and spinach. One-quarter cup at a time, add pasta water and toss with pasta and vegetables to evenly distribute. Crumble goat cheese over the hot mixture, and stir to combine. Some will melt. That's OK.

Add shrimp, serve.

Notes
*Garlic: If you read this, you know I often use jarred garlic. This recipe is no exception. If you use the ginormous jar of Spice World Garlic I do, use about 1 tablespoon for minced garlic for this recipe.

*Shrimp: In the last 5 years, I've cooked many, many, many shrimp dishes. I'm a seafood person. I've used every type of shrimp you can buy -- frozen, fresh, raw, cooked, salad, jumbo, extra jumbo and everything in between. I try to use 16-20 count shrimp for my recipes, but they aren't always available. When they aren't, I go with 31-40 count. For this recipe, any size should work, as long as you have about half a pound. For the raw/cooked debate... I VASTLY prefer raw shrimp. Once you cook them, they take on the flavor of what you're cooking. If you use the cooked kind, they tend to taste brininer and like, well, seafood water. Who wants to eat that? Go for raw. If you get them frozen (that's OK!), put them in a bowl of cold water (yes, cold). Let them sit for 5 minutes. Drain, and refill with room temperature water. Let the shrimp sit for a good 10 minutes and they should thaw. Take them out of the water, peel, devein and de-tail them. Ready to cook!

*Pasta water: What a simple and magical ingredient! The pasta water's job here is to bind all the ingredients together. Rather than using tons of butter or olive oil, add pasta water and it instantly makes a sauce. It keeps everything most and not too oily, and adds tremendous flavor.

*Grill: I used our outdoor gas grill for this, because I love to grill. I love the flavor imparted to the ingredients from it, and it really tastes like summer to me. If you don't have a gas grill available, feel free to use a George Foreman grill or even a grill pan. If you still don't have that available, use the olive oil and just roast the shrimp in the oven. We aim for versatility! :-)

Gamberi e mitili in brodo del vino (Shrimp and mussels in wine broth)

Growing up, I was willing to try pretty much anything, especially when it came to seafood.

My dad and I could have eaten some type of seafood everyday, and whatever he was having, I was having. I remember sitting down with him to share a lobster when I was about 8, just because I wanted to try it. I ate shrimp by the handful and steamers by the bucketload. If it was seafood, I was IN.

So as an adult at a restaurant, I'm instantly drawn to the seafood section of the menu. At a particular Italian eatery, my husband and I love a dish of mussels and broth. We end up eating it very quick and using our bread to soak up the buttery broth every single time.

But since we can't afford to go out to eat every night, I had to figure out a way to make the dish at home. And since mussels, while delicious, aren't all that filling as a dinner meal, I tossed in some shrimp. Next time I'd also like to add some scallops; I think they'd add even more flavor to the dish.

You can serve the broth separate like I did here, or pour it over the shellfish. I've done it both ways, but separated it here to show you what it should look like. I highly recommend serving this with some bread -- once you try the broth, you won't leave a single drop in the bowl.

Enjoy!



Gamberi e mitili in brodo del vino (Shrimp and mussels in wine broth)
Serves 4-6

2 pounds of live mussels (approximately 75 shells), scrubbed, debearded*
1 pound of peeled, deveined raw shrimp
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced onion or shallot
4 tablespoons salted butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup white wine
3 tablespoons garlic*
1 tablespoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Tools
wire/bristle brush
large sautee pan with lid

With sautee pan on medium heat, melt butter, then add lemon juice, salt, pepper and wine (carefully). Toss in onion and cook until translucent. Add half of the garlic to the broth and watch to make sure it doesn't burn. Cook until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.



Toss mussels into pan, distributing as evenly as possible around the pan. Spoon remaining garlic and olive oil over shells and cover. Cook for 15 minutes.



Remove lid and toss shrimp on top of mussels, cover. Cook for additional 5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Remove from heat.



Spoon shrimp and mussels onto large platter.



Before serving, ensure all shells have opened -- discard mussels that remain closed. Top with broth from pan or serve with broth on the side (you can add any other flavors you like -- parsley, red pepper flakes, basil, etc., at this time).



Notes
Mussels -- At our supermarket, you can buy a 2 lb. bundle of mussels in the seafood department. Though it won't look like it at first, this is about 75 mussels.



The tricky thing about mussels, and the reason many people don't cook with them, is that they do require a fair bit of preparation. When you unbundle them, you have to scrub them, as they accumulate a fair amount of dirt/sand on their shells. Then, and if you're squeamish, look away -- you have to "de-beard" them. What's a beard you ask? It's a group of fibers the mussel has used to hold on to rocks in the ocean.



You have to grip the beard and yank it out of the shell. The creepy thing (for some, I'm past it!), is that as the mussel is live, you may feel it... "tug" back a little. Certainly, once you begin to pull the beard and let go, you will see a portion disappear back into the shell. In any event, you want to remove this beard, or as much of it as you can, because what you don't clean off the shells and out of them is going to end up in your mouth.



The other tidbit about mussels... you have to quite literally trust your gut. The LAST thing you want to eat is bad shellfish, and so you have to apply the open-closed theory of discarding the "bad" ones -- if you see shells OPEN before you cook the mussels, throw them out. If any remain CLOSED after you cook them, throw them out. If any shells have chunks mussing or exposed mussel showing, throw them out. Trust me on this one -- better safe than sorry!

Garlic -- Just to restate what I've said in almost every recipe I've made using garlic, you can feel free to use jarred or fresh garlic. I prefer to use the jarred as it keeps longer, I don't have to cut it up, and it seems to be more flavorful. If you use the jarred garlic, use 3 tablespoons. If you use fresh garlic, use 4-5 cloves, depending on their size.

Recipe #26: Shrimp Scampi

This recipe is what my husband calls "an Amy classic." No one ever taught me how to make it -- in fact not a lot of the people in my family actually like seafood -- it's just something I love and can do well. I made it for my sister last summer, and it got rave reviews. (Chrissy, let me know when, and I'll make it again! :))

Enjoy -- hope it becomes one of your classics as well!



Shrimp Scampi
Cooking time: About 25 minutes
Serves 2-3

Ingredients
8 ounces dry spaghetti (half a regular-sized box)
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces peeled, devained raw shrimp*
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup white wine*
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ shallot
Salt to taste, additional to salt pasta water
½ cup reserved pasta water*
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion salt
¼ cup chopped tomatoes (optional)

Tools
Large skillet or non-stick pan
Large pasta pot

Fill pasta pot with water, and add generous amount of salt. Prepare pasta as directed, drain in colander, reserving ½ cup of the salted water pasta cooked in. Do not rinse! While pasta is cooking…

Heat butter in large skillet or non-stick pan on medium heat. Toss shallots into butter, and cook until translucent. Add olive oil and garlic, and turn down heat to medium-low to avoid burning garlic. Add shrimp* and allow to cook for 2 minutes. Turn in pan to cook on both sizes. Add white wine*, lemon juice, garlic powder and onion salt and cook until shrimp are pink and no longer translucent. Toss with half of the parmesan cheese. If using tomatoes, add them now and allow to cook for a minute or two.



Once pasta is drained, add to pan with scampi, and pour in reserved pasta water.



Top with remaining cheese, toss with sauce to evenly coat. Serve immediately.



Comments
*Frozen shrimp: Please use whatever size shrimp are available to you. I hate recipes that specify sizes. Generally, I don’t use anything below 16-20 count, but it’s totally up to you, and if you’re making this more budget-friendly… use what’s on sale.

*White wine: You can use any type of white wine for this recipe. I prefer chardonnay, because if I drink wine, it’s my preferred variety. I wouldn’t cook with a wine I wouldn’t drink. You don’t have to spend $30 on a bottle, or even $20, but I would avoid the $3 shelf.

*Pasta water: As you read that, you might wonder why I ask you to reserve and use some of the water the pasta has been cooked in. I do have a reason. Adding pasta water lends a starchiness and flavor that you can’t get from regular water, and adding it to the scampi cuts the butter/oil texture from this recipe, so you aren’t left with half an inch of oil in the bottom of your pan. Just trust me on this one.

Note: You’ll see some of these pictures have tomatoes in them while some don’t. My husband refuses to eat his scampi with tomatoes. Loathes it. I have no idea why, since I’ve been eating tomatoes every which way since I was a kid. So the tomato-less scampi is my husband’s while the tomato-full scampi is mine.

Recipe #16: Caffe NV's Shrimp Saganaki

Without exaggeration, this dish really is my favorite food ever. If I had to live on only one thing for the rest of my life, I'd choose Shrimp Saganaki. I cannot take credit for this deliciously magical wonderful culinary creation -- it's the work of the chefs at Caffe NV in Waterford, Connecticut, my favorite restaurant. This is the only entree I've ordered there in the seven years I've been going to Caffe NV, and not once has it been anything less than stellar.

I've mentioned Caffe NV before -- my look-alike of their goat cheese spread makes a wonderful accompaniment to this dish, and can be found here -- and I really do mean it with all my heart (and stomach) when I tell you that their food is delicious, and they have not paid me a word to say that!

A local newspaper printed this recipe a few years ago, in their food column. I Googled the name of the dish, to see if by chance -- even though the restaurant doesn't have a website -- maybe someone else had a similar dish. I had finally found it! I can't find the recipe online anymore, but please understand -- this is NOT my original creation. I am reposting it here and showing how I've made it, but it is not my recipe. It's easy, requires only ingredients most people have in their kitchens already, and is so worth it! Please note -- wherever you see a (*) next to an ingredient or tool, there is a comment about it below the recipe. Enjoy!

Caffe NV's Shrimp Saganaki

Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined*
salt and pepper to taste
3 cloves chopped garlic*
2 ounces white wine
2 ounces hot sauce*
2 diced plum tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup feta cheese

Tools
Saute pan
Small casserole dish or pie plate

Heat the oil in a sauté pan. Cook shrimp on both sides until they start to turn pink. Add the garlic and sauté until tender.



Add the white wine and hot sauce and cook about 3 to 5 minutes, or until mixture has reduced a bit.



Add the diced tomatoes and the tomato sauce, salt and pepper to taste, and cook about 7 minutes.



Transfer to an oven-proof dish and top with feta cheese (use crumbled only).



Bake in a 350-degree oven 7 to 10 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve with sliced crusty bread as an appetizer or toss with pasta and serve as an entree (my preferred serving suggestion).



Yields four entree servings.


*Comments:
-Shrimp: I used the shrimp I had on hand which were 31-40 count (meaning 31-40 = about a pound), but I found them a little small. I'd recommend using 16-20 count. Though slightly pricier, this recipe only calls for a quarter pound. Even if you use more than the recipe calls for, you can likely get half a pound for $6 or less.

-Garlic: I don't usually use fresh garlic when I cook, unless it's going to be almost raw in the dish. What I use instead is a huge jar of Spice World minced garlic. It saves me the time of having to chop (and have my hands smell like) garlic for any given recipe. For this recipe, if you use the jarred garlic, use one tablespoon.

-Hot sauce: I've tried all kinds and brands in this recipe, and the best flavor, by far, comes from using Frank's Red Hot sauce. Tabasco or a generic "Louisiana hot sauce" will do in a pinch, but to me, Frank's isn't just hot, it's also got a lot of flavor.

-Entree vs. appetizer: I love having this as an entree. To do that, I cooked one pound of penne in salted water, while the shrimp and tomatoes were sauteeing. It was timed perfectly -- by the time the shrimp and tomatoes came out of the oven, the pasta was just finished draining. Toss sauce with pasta in a large bowl and serve. One pound of pasta and the sauce makes enough for four.

Recipe #4: Rigatoni ala Vodka with Shrimp

I am a pastaholic. I could eat it everyday if it was of no consequence. I am also a huge fan of homemade sauces and hate jarred because to me, it just doesn't taste right. It's not hard to make a good sauce on your own, and if you make the pink vodka sauce in the recipe below, I guarantee you that it is as good, if not better, than any restaurant vodka sauce. My favorite part about this recipe is that it only takes about 20 minutes to make, from start to finish. Also, in case you're either allergic or not a big fan of shrimp, you can always just leave it out. We're just big fans of seafood and love the texture and taste of shrimp. Also, not a lot of pics for this one, as it's such a quick and easy recipe... I hardly had time to take any! Please note -- wherever you see a (*) next to an ingredient or tool, there is a comment about it below the recipe. Enjoy!


Rigatoni ala Vodka with Shrimp

Cook time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients
10-12 large shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined (optional)
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes*
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
3 cloves garlic*
1 1/2 pounds rigatoni (about a box and a half)
4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 ounce vodka
3/4 cup heavy cream
dried parsley for garnish

Tools
large pot
medium sauce pan
mixing spoon

Boil water in large pot with 3 teaspoons of salt. Add pasta. Cook until tender (about 15-20 minutes).

While pasta cooks... In saucepan, add olive oil and heat on medium heat for 5-7 minutes. When oil is heated, add crushed tomatoes, remaining salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, 1/4 cup cheese and garlic and let simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Stir frequently to keep sauce from sticking and to heat evenly. Add vodka, allow to cook for two more minutes. Add cream slowly, stirring as it is added. Sauce should appear orange to pink in color. Add shrimp and cook for five minutes.

When pasta is finished, drain and return to pan, but turn the burner off. Pour sauce and shrimp into the pot with pasta and mix.



Spoon onto plates and top each with remaining cheese and sprinkle of parsley. Enjoy!




*Comments:
-Garlic: I don't usually use fresh garlic when I cook, unless it's going to be almost raw in the dish. What I use instead is a huge jar of Spice World minced garlic. It saves me the time of having to chop (and have my hands smell like) garlic for any given recipe. For this recipe, if you use the jarred garlic, use one tablespoon.

*Tomatoes: The crushed tomatoes I use already have basil in them (it will say it right on the can). If you can't find any with basil already added, add one leave finely chopped OR one teaspoon into the tomato sauce while cooking.

*While cooking: Be careful adding the can of crushed tomatoes into the pan with oil. Adding them too quickly or too much at a time can cause the oil to "spit," and you can get a pretty nasty burn. You want to be sure to heat the oil only on medium heat (NOT HIGH), and stand back a bit, maybe even use a potholder, when you pour the can in. You can also try adding half the can, mixing, then adding the second half.