Shrimp Bucatini with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Pangritata
I actually created this shrimp bucatini recipe as a kitchen cleaner on the day before we were travelling. I collected what I had in the fridge and found some frozen shrimp, put it together with the idea of different textures. Bucatini is probably one of my favorite pastas and is quite underused. It lends itself to this lemony sauce so well and the noodles are easy to eat.
One of the tricks to browning and caramelizing shrimp I found was to put just a touch of sugar on them. It doesn’t make them sweet and if you find they are just add salt as well. The sugar really makes the shrimp a beautiful color without over cooking.
You can make the pangritata, tomatoes and shrimp ahead and then all you need is the 10-12 minutes for the pasta and sauce. The result is a beautiful and delicious dish that will amaze your guests.
Add a side of broccolini or simple salad. Pair with a nice cold Pinot Grigio or chilled light red wine!
Shrimp Bucatini with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Pangritata
Ingredients
- 2 slices white or Italian bread
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil, or 1 tsp dried
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 lb dried bucatini pasta
- 1 lb fresh shrimp, cleaned
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 12 oz fresh cherry tomatoes, halved, multicolored make it pretty
- 1 sweet yellow pepper, diced
- 12 oz sliced white mushrooms
- ¼ cup finely chopped sweet onion
- ½ tbsp lemon zest
- juice of half a lemon
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp good thick balsamic vinegar
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
For Pangritata
- Bake bread in toaster oven until crisp and dry on 250 °F
- Let cool and then grind in small processor with herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
- Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil to a small non stick skillet and add bread crumbs slowly stirring constantly over medium high heat until golden brown. Pour into a bowl and set aside to cool.
Roasted Tomatoes
- Coat tomatoes in 1 tbsp of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and drizzle with balsamic in a small roasting pan. Roast at 350 for 30 minutes or until they burst. Remove and cool but keep at room temperature.
Put it Together
- Cook pasta per label directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, toss the shrimp in smoked paprika and sugar. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a heavy skillet. Then add shrimp flat and scattered. Sear for 1-2 minutes on medium high heat until brown turn and repeat. Remove from pan and set aside. I like to place them in a metal bowl or pan and place in the microwave to keep heat insulated.
- Add a tbsp of olive oil and onions to the hot pan. Saute until translucent. Add the peppers and mushrooms and cook until just tender. Add wine, lemon juice and zest. Cook on medium until reduced by half and alcohol is cooked out.
- Add the cream and bring to a slow boil then reduce heat and simmer on low until sauce is slightly thickened. Remove from heat and let sit to continue to thicken.
- Add shrimp to the sauce and stir to coat.
- Serve sauce over drained pasta and top with tomatoes and bread crumbs. Sprinkle with julienned fresh basil.