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Super Easy Shrimp Pasta

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis "Farfalle with Broccoli"
Servings: 6 people

Ingredients
 

  • 16 oz pasta of your choice (spaghetti or campanelle work great)
  • 1 lb shrimp (peeled and deveined)
  • 4 cups chopped broccoli (asparagus or kale work too)
  • cup olive oil
  • ½ stick butter
  • ½ onion (sliced thinly)
  • 5 anchovy fillets (diced)
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)
  • salt and pepper (to taste)
  • fresh parmesan or pecorino (to taste)

Directions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta, according to package directions.
  • When pasta has approximately 5-6 minutes to cook, add your broccoli (or whatever vegetable you've chosen) to the water and let the pasta finish cooking.
  • Drain the pasta and vegetables, reserving about a cup of pasta water.
  • Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once butter has melted, add the sliced onions and sautée until soft.
  • Add the anchovy fillets and stir them until they melt and incorporate into the butter and oil mixture.
  • Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about one minute. Don't overcook and burn the garlic or it will taste bitter.
  • Add shrimp to pan, and cook them on each side until they are JUST opaque. Remember that when it comes to shrimp, a "C" shaped shrimp is cooked. An "O" shaped shrimp is overdone. "C" is for Cooked. "O" is for Overdone. It takes a LOT less time to cook shrimp than people think. We're talking a couple of minutes. You want your shrimp to have some snap when you bite into them, not have the texture of a deflated bike tire.
  • Once the shrimp are done, turn off the heat, and combine shrimp, pasta and veggies. Stir in a bit of pasta water to create enough "sauce" to cover everything. It usually takes about half a cup, sometimes more, sometimes less. I think a lot depends on the shape of pasta and veggies used. Just add a bit at a time. You really can't mess this up. Salt and pepper to taste.
  • When everything has combined, transfer to a serving bowl and just annihilate it with grated parmesan cheese. Nobody has ever complained about too much parm. And if they do, you may ask them to promptly leave your home.