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Perhaps as old as the Roman Empire, Italian cuisine is adored worldwide and is undoubtedly one of our favorites. Here's a simple yet delicious meal—perfect for weeknights—that we have updated with modern techniques adapted from Cook's Illustrated. It can be served with Alexander's shrimp.
This will create one large serving and can be scaled up or down according to your needs. Even if you want less pasta or shrimp, use the same amount of the other ingredients for one person.
Ingredients
3-5 oz. spaghetti
8 oz. Alexander's shrimp or prawns
Salt
Sugar
1 TB extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup white wine
1 - 2 TB butter
1 TB Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp mint leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
Lemon wedges (optional)
Peel the shrimp, removing any black veins. (Reserve the shells to make a light stock for another time.) Lightly salt the shrimp and set it in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for pasta. Add 1 tablespoon of salt per 4 quarts of water.
Or, if you are adventurous, you can do as we have done. Place the spaghetti in a saute pan (non-stick would be fine) that can hold the spaghetti without bending. Use enough salted water to just cover the spaghetti. Bring water to a boil. Your goal, in the end, is to have just a hint of thick, starchy water, which acts like extra sauce. (We came to this technique because we were tired of cleaning the spaghetti pot and its colander insert. We ended up with something that is easier and adds body to the final sauce.)
While your spaghetti is cooking and about half done, begin frying the garlic/shrimp mixture over medium-high heat. Drizzle the olive oil around a medium to large cold non-stick saute pan. Add the chopped garlic and shrimp to the pan, moving them around to coat them with oil, then turn them over (without picking up any garlic) and again move the shrimp around to coat the other side. You don't want to brown the shrimp; you want it cooked almost, but not completely, through, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and turn each shrimp over in the pan. Let it sit a minute or two. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
Add the white wine to the pan and reduce by about half.
If using the traditional method, remove the spaghetti from the pot of water when it is
'al dente' and place it in a large (preferably non-stick) pan.
If using the non-traditional method, When the spaghetti is almost cooked to 'al dente', should there be too much water left, drain most of it away, or turn up the heat a bit to reduce the liquid until almost gone. Continue cooking to the 'al dente' stage.
Add the lemon zest, butter, and herbs to the spaghetti and toss. Mix the shrimp into the spaghetti and gently warm. If the shrimp don't seem to be cooked through, you can use this step to finish cooking them.
Immediately transfer to a heated plate and serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Howie's Wine Team Recommendation: Berthenet Bourgogne Aligoté. Un-oaked and aged on the lees for 6 months, the citrusy floral aromas and flavors are the perfect match for the meal.
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