After a fun, few months, I canceled my Blue Apron subscription several weeks ago–it was a great experience and I learned a lot about new ingredients and techniques, as well as more effectively scaling down my cooking for just two portions. Over the past month, I’ve found myself making a number of the Blue Apron recipes, many of which will be in my regular rotation; including this gem: Zesty Shrimp Bucatini, a spicy, creamy sauce of red bell pepper, tomato paste, Korean gochujang paste, cream, scallions, garlic, and white wine served over hollow spaghetti pasta (bucatini). It sure makes for a pretty picture.
Here is the original recipe link from Blue Apron if you want to give this delectable dish a try, or see my adaptation below. Please note that the Blue Apron recipe calls for verjus blanc which is just their non-alcoholic alternative to white wine. Opening up an entire bottle of wine for one recipe always seems ridiculous, so I keep tiny picnic-sized bottles of wine on hand for cooking, although dry vermouth makes a decent white wine substitute in a pinch.
Zesty Shrimp Pasta
Makes two generous servings
INGREDIENTS
Olive oil
1 lb large shrimp (peeled & deveined)
½ lb bucatini or other strand pasta
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped
2 scallions, green & white parts separated, very thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, quartered lengthwise & thinly sliced crosswise
¼ cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp white wine or dry vermouth
2 Tbsps tomato paste
2 tsps gochujang
PREPARATION
Fill a large pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high.
In a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the sliced pepper, chopped garlic, and sliced white bottoms of the scallions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly softened. Turn off the heat. Transfer to a bow. Wipe out the pan.
Meanwhile, add the pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook 6 to 8 minutes, or until al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Turn off the heat. Reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, drain thoroughly and return to the pot.
Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels (remove the tails, if desired). In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the shrimp in an even layer. Cook, without stirring, 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly opaque. Add the tomato paste and gochujang. Cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined. Add the wine or vermouth (carefully, as the liquid may splatter) and cream; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the shrimp are coated and cooked through. Turn off the heat.
To the pot of cooked pasta, add the cooked shrimp and sauce, cooked pepper, and half the reserved pasta cooking water; season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the pasta is coated (if necessary, gradually add the remaining cooking water to ensure the pasta is thoroughly coated).Turn off the heat. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the finished pasta garnished with the sliced green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!
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Text and all images by Stacey
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