milanese Shrimp with Orecchiette and wilted greens
Servings
4
Total time
1
hourThis quick and simple dish is anything but simplistic when it comes to flavor. Rich paprika and saffron combine with loads of garlic and butter to create a rich background for the shrimp and pasta. This gorgeous dish is easy enough for a weeknight and extravagant enough for a special occasion.
Ingredients
1 lb peeled, deveined shrimp
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp Aleppo Chile Flakes
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup Brandy
1 tsp Spanish Sweet Paprika
Pinch Saffron
2 Tbl butter
¼ cup heavy cream
Salt and Pepper, to taste
10 oz Orecchiette
2 big handfuls of spinach
¼ cup parsley, chopped
¾ cup Manchego cheese, grated
Instructions
- Toss the shrimp with the baking soda and salt. Place in the fridge to “brine.” This can be done up to 1 hour ahead.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain but don’t rinse. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
- In a skillet, heat the Olive Oil and garlic. Sauté until the garlic just starts to brown. Add the Aleppo chile flakes, lemon juice, butter, brandy and saffron – simmer for about 30 seconds.
- Add the shrimp and reduce the heat to very low. You may not even see a simmer-this is more about poaching the shrimp. Cook until opaque pink and firm-about 8 minutes. Add the cream and incorporate it into the sauce, cook for another 2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and fold in the pasta and the greens. Stir to combine. Adjust with pasta water if the mixture becomes thick. Serve with grated Manchego, lots of chopped parsley and crusty baguette slice.
