At our house there is no such thing as too much garlic. This dish has shrimp marinated in garlic, cooked in a garlic oil, then served with a garlicky sauce. A slice of pure heaven. Just don’t breathe on anyone after you eat it!
Author: Cooks Illustrated
Serves: 4 |
Garlicky Shrimp Pasta |
INGREDIENTS
5 medium, garlic cloves (divided) – minced or pressed through garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
4 medium, cloves – smashed
1 pound, large shrimp – (21-25) peeled, deveined, each shrimp cut into 3 pieces
3 tablespoons, olive oil
Table salt
1/4 teaspoon, red pepper flakes – or more to taste
1 pound, pasta in short – tubular shapes, such as fusilli, campanelle, or mezze rigatoni
2 teaspoons, unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup, dry vermouth or white wine
3/4 cup, clam juice
1/2 cup, chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons, unsalted butter
1 teaspoon, lemon juice
1 lemon – cut into wedges
Ground black pepper
METHOD
- Toss 2 teaspoons minced garlic, shrimp, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Let shrimp marinate at room temperature 20 minutes.
- Heat 4 smashed garlic cloves and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is light golden brown, 4 to 7 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and use slotted spoon to remove garlic from skillet; discard garlic. Set skillet aside.
- Bring 4 quarts salted water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Add pasta. Cook until just al dente, then drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water, and transfer pasta back to Dutch oven.
- While pasta cooks, return skillet with oil to medium heat; add shrimp with marinade to skillet in single layer. Cook shrimp, undisturbed, until oil starts to bubble gently, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir shrimp and continue to cook until almost cooked through, about 1 minute longer. Using slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to medium bowl. Add remaining 3 teaspoons minced garlic and pepper flakes to skillet and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute; stir in vermouth and cook for 1 minute. Add clam juice and parsley; cook until mixture starts to thicken, 1 to 2 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter and lemon juice. Add shrimp and sauce to pasta, adding reserved cooking water if sauce is too thick. Season with black pepper. Serve, passing lemon wedges separately.
Marinate the shrimp while you prepare the remaining ingredients.