Pasta and Noodles · Card PN09
Creamy Shrimp Spaghetti
Small Gulf shrimp need only about ninety seconds of heat, so they finish cooking right in a lemony garlic cream at the end. A splash of dry vermouth, a whisper of cayenne and plenty of chives keep the sauce light and lively. Make it whenever the shrimp at the market are small, sweet and cheap.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Cuisine
- American
Method
Step 1: Pat the shrimp very dry and toss them with the paprika, cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Put the spaghetti on to boil in well-salted water.
Step 2: Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it foams. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook for 45 seconds, flip, and give them 30 seconds more; they should be pink outside and still a touch glassy inside. Scrape them onto a plate.
Step 3: Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining butter and the garlic, and stir for 1 minute until fragrant but not browned. Pour in the vermouth and simmer until it reduces by half, about 2 minutes.
Step 4: Add the cream and lemon zest and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, until reduced by about a third and leaving a thin coat on the back of a spoon.
Step 5: Add the drained spaghetti with 1/4 cup of pasta water and the parmesan and toss until the strands look silky. Return the shrimp with their juices, turn off the heat and toss for 1 minute so they finish cooking in the sauce.
Step 6: Squeeze in lemon juice a tablespoon at a time, tasting as you go, then stir in most of the chives. Serve at once with the rest of the chives on top.
Kitchen note
Acid plus a hard boil makes milk proteins clump, so adding the lemon juice only after the burner is off keeps the cream smooth while still giving the sauce its brightness.
Easy swap
Use peeled crawfish tails instead of shrimp and add an extra pinch of cayenne for a Louisiana-leaning plate.
Filed nearby
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