Tagliolini with Shrimp
I’ve stated many times that great food does not need to be overly complicated, in fact a lot of classic Italian cuisine revolves around simple ingredients and flavors done in a tasty way. For example, did you realize that if you took pasta, shrimp, and a bit of garlic, chili, and anise, you can make a stunning dish that comes together in minutes? That is what I’m here to present.
The key to this dish is that we’re going to use the shells from the shrimp to make a very quick shrimp stock that will provide a ton of flavor for both the pasta and the shrimp meat.
Now, traditional Italian recipes will likely have you use mantis shrimp or prawns which you might find if you live near the ocean, but if you live in the mountains like me or anywhere where you can’t smell the sea air, then any kind of shell-on shrimp that you can find in your grocery store will work well for this dish.
Serves 4
1 3/4 pounds of raw shrimp in their shells
1/2 teaspoon of ground fennel seeds
1 tablespoon of anise liquor, such as absinthe
1 pound of pasta (Tagliolini is classic, but linguine will work.)
Salt
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2-1 dried red chili, depends on how spicy you want it.
1 whole garlic clove
Chopped parsley, to serve
Devein and remove the shells and tails from the shrimp, but put the shells into a saucepan. Add the fennel seeds, liquor, and cover with about 1 inch of ice. Cover the pot, then leave it over a low heat to simmer for about 45 minutes. (This technique with the ice will ensure you extract the maximum amount of flavor from those shrimp shells.)
Strain the stock, discard the shells, then reduce it to about 1/2 cup.
Cook the pasta in a pot of salted boiling water to al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Set aside some of the starchy pasta water, then drain.
While the pasta cooks, heat the oil, chili, and garlic in a sautee pan over medium-low heat until the garlic is soft, but does not brown, it’ll take about 3-4 minutes. Remove the garlic, then add the shrimp flesh and stock, then cook for about 1 minute.
Add the pasta to the pan, then cook for another minute, or until the shrimp is fully cooked. Season with salt to taste, garnish with parsley, then serve.
I know it doesn’t seem like there’s much in this bowl, but believe me when I say that the flavors are spectacular. That shrimp stock with the hint of fennel provides lots of depth of flavor that is lifted by the garlic and chili oil and is meant for the pasta and shrimp to soak up. It’s a great dish, and I would recommend making it as soon as you get a chance.
