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Spaghetti with Shrimp, Tomatoes and White Wine
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In Venice, Italy, cookbook author Marika Contaldo Seguso taught us to make a regional classic, scampi alla busara. Large, sweet, shell-on prawns are bathed in a sauce made with fresh tomatoes and flavored with a splash of white wine, smashed garlic cloves and a sprinkling of pepper flakes. She paired her scampi alla busara with al dente pasta, a terrifically delicious, though not strictly traditional, combination. We adapted Seguso’s recipe using shelled shrimp in place of the prawns; to build flavor into our sauce, we briefly simmer the shrimp tails in the wine reduction, then remove them before the tomatoes are added.
4 to 6
Servings
Tip
Don’t use more than 3 quarts of water to boil the spaghetti. The aim is for the pasta water to be extra-starchy, as some of it is reserved (don’t forget to set aside about 1 cup before draining) and used near the end of cooking to give the sauce some clingability. Also, don’t boil the spaghetti until al dente. Drain it when it’s just shy of al dente, as it will finish cooking directly in the sauce.
45 minutes
1 pound spaghetti
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more to serve
4 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 1/2 pounds extra-large shrimp (21/25 per pound), peeled (tails removed and reserved) and deveined
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil, torn
2 teaspoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Ingredients
-
1
pound spaghetti
-
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
-
4
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more to serve
-
4
medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
-
1½
pounds extra-large shrimp (21/25 per pound), peeled (tails removed and reserved) and deveined
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⅓
cup dry white wine
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2
pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
-
1
cup lightly packed fresh basil, torn
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2
teaspoons white sugar
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½
teaspoon red pepper flakes
Directions
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01In a large pot, bring 3 quarts water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and 2 teaspoons salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until just shy of al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot; set aside.
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02In a 12-inch skillet over medium, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add the garlic and shrimp tails, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until it has reduced by about half, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove and discard the garlic and shrimp tails.
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03Into the wine reduction, stir the tomatoes, half of the basil, the sugar, pepper flakes and ½ teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then reduce to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are softened and jammy and the juices have fully evaporated, 12 to 15 minutes.
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04Add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to turn pink, about 2 minutes. Pour the mixture over the spaghetti in the pot, then add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and ½ cup of the pasta water. Cook over medium, tossing with tongs, until the sauce clings to the spaghetti and the shrimp are cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes; add more cooking water 1 tablespoon at a time if the mixture looks dry.
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05Off heat, taste and season with salt and pepper, then stir in the remaining basil. Serve drizzled with additional oil.
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Reviews
September 7, 2022
Silky sauce
This looked great as written. Having said that, I tweaked it a tad, using halved cherry tomatoes and a touch of tomato paste, and using shrimp shells to create broth for spaghetti water. Yum!
August 30, 2022
Perfect Summer Garden Option
This one is a keeper! I usually do my shrimp pasta “Bianco,” no tomatoes. But it’s the heart of summer and we had some great “cour de bue” Italian plum tomatoes bursting from our garden. And some great gulf coast shrimp - never frozen - from Osprey Market here in Napa Valley. Tasted like a trip to Venezia! Perfecto! As is. As I said, going into my “keeper recipes” for summer! Awesome Milkstreet.
July 23, 2022
Bright, Light Flavors and Spice
Easy with bright flavor and light spice.
June 28, 2022
Light and fresh
Dish is excellent, except it desperately needs acid. I added the juice of 1/2 a lemon at the end and that brought all the flavors out and married them together perfectly.
February 25, 2023
Good technique to follow with a few tweaks.
I’d skip the sugar. I thought it was too sweet. Squeezed a lemon on at the table for brightness and acidity. All in all, a good recipe for technique and a recipe is just a guide. So tweak away!
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