Orecchiette with Shrimp
Oh, wait till you see what I have in store for my next dish in this pastarific journey through the alphabet. The next letter up for questioning is, of course, good old O. Believe it or not, there are quite a few options when it comes to food that begin with O.
Onions, okra, olives, olive oil, oats, oranges, oysters, even octopus.
All well and good, but I felt like it’s time to give a particular pasta shape a bit of a highlight, so I will be working with orecchiette. Translating from Italian to little ear, orecchiette is known for having the shape of an old man’s inner ear…boy does that sound appetizing? Despite the name, orecchiette is as versatile as any pasta shape, and I’m going to do things fairly simple with some shrimp, broccoli rabe and white wine.
Ought to be outstanding.
Serves 4
Salt and pepper
1/2 pound Orecchiette pasta
2 large bunches broccolini, tough lower stems removed
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orecchiette, then cook for about 7-9 minutes, or according to the package directions for al dente.
During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli rabe and continue cooking until the broccoli rabe is bight green and crisp-tender. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain.
Meanwhile, heat the oil and garlic in a wide nonstick skillet until the garlic starts sizzling. Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 3 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the shrimp start to turn opaque. Add the wine, bring it to a simmer and cook for 4 more minutes, or until reduced by half and the shrimp is fully cooked.
Add the pasta, broccolini, cream and cheese, then continue stirring until the liquid thickens slightly, then serve.
