Description
Inspired by one of our favorite paccheri pastas from one of our absolute favorite restaurants in Venice (Antiche Carampane), this toothsome "meaty" pasta is paired with shrimp and zucchini for a light, yet hearty and filling dish. Use fresh or frozen shrimp to make this a budget-friendly shrimp pasta.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces paccheri pasta (sub rigatoni, penne, mezzi paccheri, or spaghetti) (340g)
- 1 pound fresh or frozen shrimp, peeled, deveined, patted dry (500g)
- 4 small zucchini (or 2 medium zucchini), sliced 1/4 thick
- 3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed (45g)
- 4 to 6 medium garlic cloves, smashed (more or less to taste)
- 6 fresh basil leaves (plus more for garnish)
- 1/2 cup homemade tomato pasta sauce (sub tomato passata or finely chopped canned tomatoes) (120g)
- 2 tablespoons dry (unoaked) white wine (30g)
- 1 to 3 dried whole chili peppers (optional but recommended)
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Cook the shrimp shells: *Skip this step if you're short on time, but we enjoy the extra flavor it adds to this pasta sauce. Add the shrimp shells to the skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook for 2 minutes or until they turn pink/orange. Remove them from the skillet and discard, or allow them to cool and freeze for making seafood stock later on.
- Shallow fry the zucchini slices: Place the zucchini slices in a single layer in a preheated skillet with 2 to 3 tablespoons of EVOO set over medium-high heat, season with salt, and fry until light golden brown or about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn them over as they begin to brown, sprinkle lightly with salt, and continue cooking for about 3 minutes more on the second side. Remove them to a bowl or platter while you repeat with the remaining zucchini slices adding more EVOO 1 tablespoon at a time as needed.
- Blister the aromatics in olive oil (garlic, basil & chili pepper): To the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon of EVOO and sauté the basil, smashed garlic, and chili pepper (if using) until the garlic is golden brown and the basil is crispy, but not burned (about 3 minutes).
- Sauté the shrimp: Place shrimp into the skillet in a single layer leaving a little room in between each one. Season with salt and do not move the shrimp around. When they start to turn opaque around the bottom edges and the first side is golden brown (after about 2 minutes), flip them over and cook for about 30 seconds more. The shrimp will not be fully cooked at this point, but they'll finish cooking in the sauce later on. Remove the shrimp from the skillet to a plate in a single layer and repeat with remaining shrimp adding a little more EVOO as needed.
- Boil the pasta: Add the pasta to a pot of boiling salted water and cook until al dente according to package instructions and set a timer. About 6 minutes before the pasta is fully cooked, start building your sauce.
- Finish the sauce and add the pasta: With the skillet still set to medium-high heat, add the wine, stir, and allow the alcohol to cook off for about 3 minutes. Add the tomato pasta sauce (or chopped tomatoes or tomato passata if using) to the skillet and stir it around in the deglazed mixture. Add the zucchini and shrimp, and about 1/4 cup or a little more of the now starchy pasta cooking water to the skillet and stir. Immediately add the cooked pasta, toss to combine, serve immediately, and Enjoy!
Notes
- To make this a meal prep pasta, prepare the recipe through step #4, allow ingredients to cool, and refrigerate until ready to cook the pasta and finish the sauce. Be sure not to cook the shrimp all the way through so when they are reheated they will be cooked perfectly and not overcooked and rubbery.
- Using fresh basil instead of dried basil will make all the difference in the flavor of this pasta. Use the rest to make simple pesto, or freeze it to use in pasta sauce or to top homemade pizza.
- Use fresh or frozen shrimp. I've used Italian shrimp (mazzancole or prawns from the Mediterranean Sea) but Argentinian Red Shrimp make a great substitute.
- I typically save a little leftover pasta sauce from another dinner to make this recipe. If you didn't plan ahead, you can easily substitute the leftover pasta sauce with canned tomatoes or tomato passata if desired. However, if substituting with canned tomatoes or passata, I recommend adding an extra tablespoon (15g) of EVOO and allowing the tomatoes to cook for several minutes longer (5-8 minutes) to take the raw flavor out of them and allow them to reduce.
- Feel free to omit the wine, but know that adding wine to pasta sauce triggers the release of flavor molecules that enhance every ingredient in the sauce which isn't chemically possible if you don't use it. Use a good quality drinkable (unoaked) dry white wine like a Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Garganega, Pecorino, or Trebbiano.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
