I know there are those of you who are not pasta lovers. I really am trying to understand you. Really I am. It’s okay that you’re not a fan; it really is. I just wonder why,
I wonder if it goes back to the time your momma or auntie or nana grabbed that box of spaghetti dinner off the shelf of the local grocery and tried to convince you that it was the authentic pasta of the Italians? And you wondered how in the world the Roman Empire had survived??
Well, I’m here to tell you that there’s more to the Roman Empire than that dehydrated stuff in the box with the can of tomato paste “wanna be.” Do not. I repeat. Do not be tempted to pick up one of those boxes of “spaghetti dinner” mixes.
You can do better than that with very little effort. Promise.
And there’s more to pasta than what you probably know as “spaghetti.” Bucatini, for example, is a form of pasta that you need to get to know. At first glance, it looks like a thick strand of spaghetti with a hole in the middle. Which it is. And which it is not.
That little hole is somewhat magical in the way it captures whatever sauce with which it is served. In the case of this Bucatini with Roasted Shrimp and Tomatoes, the sauce is minimal. It’s the texture of the pasta itself that supports the sweetness of the shrimp and the acidity of the tomatoes.Paired with the mellow buttery flavor from the parmesan, it’s nothing like you’l ever get from a box, y’all.
And you can do it, Pledge now to #ShedTheBox.
Ingredients
- 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons minced shallots, optional
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 pound bucatini
- Kosher salt
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup dried, grated parmesan
- 1-2 teaspoons red pepper of Aleppo pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 4 Tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
- 2 Tablespoons minced fresh basil
- Shaved parmesan as garnish
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Heat a large pan of 5-6 quarts water to boiling. Season liberally with kosher salt. Add bucatini and cook 9-10 minutes til al dente while shrimp is roasting.
- Place shrimp in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Add olive oil, shallots, garlic, oregano, Italian seasoning and basil ; season with salt and pepper. Gently toss to combine and coat shrimp
- Place into oven and roast just until pink, firm and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes, turning once.
- Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta water
- In pasta pan, add 3/4 cup pasta water, cream, grated parmesan and pepper flakes. Whisk continuously over medium - high heat to thicken.
- Reduce heat to low. Stir in drained bucatini. Add in tomatoes and heat through.
- Just before plating, stir in parsley and basil.
- Top each serving with several roasted shrimp and garnish with shaved parmesan.
