Spaghetti for Pinuccia is a quick pasta of jumbo shrimp, garlic, red chili and passata in a white wine tomato sauce, ready in about 25 minutes. It feeds 4 and works for a weeknight dinner or a small dinner party.
Why This Recipe Works
The shrimp are peeled only in the middle, with the head and tail shells left on. The shells hold a lot of flavor and give the sauce a deeper seafood taste as the shrimp cook in it.
The garlic, chili and parsley go into warm olive oil before anything else. The oil picks up their flavor and carries it through the whole sauce, but you must watch the heat so the garlic never burns and turns bitter.
The shrimp fry for only a minute before the wine and tomatoes go in, then finish in the sauce. Cooking them briefly keeps them tender, and tossing the drained pasta in the pan lets the spaghetti soak up the sauce instead of sitting under it.
Spaghetti for Pinuccia Ingredients
For the sauce
- 14 ounces uncooked jumbo shrimp (king prawns)
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 medium red chili pepper, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 5 tablespoons white wine
- 14 ounces passata or chopped tomatoes
For the pasta
- 1 1/4 pounds spaghetti (fresh or dried) or fresh egg tagliolini
- Salt, for the pasta water
- Basil, finely chopped, to garnish
How To Make Spaghetti for Pinuccia
Make the shrimp sauce
- Prep the shrimp: Peel only the middle part of each shrimp. Leave the head and tail shells on, since they add flavor to the sauce.
- Flavor the oil: Warm the 6 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the garlic, chili and parsley and cook gently, so they flavor the oil without burning.
- Fry the shrimp: Add the shrimp to the pan and fry for 1 minute, turning them once so they start to turn pink.
- Add wine and tomatoes: Stir in the white wine and the passata. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through and the sauce has thickened a little.
Cook the pasta and finish
- Boil the pasta: Cook the pasta in lightly salted boiling water. Fresh pasta needs 2 to 3 minutes, dried spaghetti about 6 to 7 minutes. Fresh egg tagliolini cooks a little faster than spaghetti.
- Toss together: Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the sauce. Mix very well, so every strand is coated in sauce.
- Serve: Serve right away, garnished with the finely chopped basil.
Recipe Tips
- Watch the garlic: Keep the heat moderate while the garlic, chili and parsley cook. Burnt garlic turns bitter and that taste spreads through the whole sauce.
- Cooked shrimp swap: If you can’t find raw jumbo shrimp, use cooked ones and shorten the time in the sauce a little. They only need to warm through.
- Time the pasta: Start the pasta water while the sauce cooks. The pasta should go from the pot into the pan right away, so it stays hot and takes up the sauce.
- Adjust the heat: One medium red chili gives a gentle kick. Remove the seeds for a milder sauce, or leave them in for more heat.
What To Serve With Spaghetti for Pinuccia
Serve the spaghetti in warm bowls with the shrimp on top, and eat it as soon as it’s plated. A crisp green salad and a glass of cold white wine fit well with it.
How To Store
- Fridge: Keep leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Shrimp turns rubbery quickly, so this dish is best fresh.
- Reheat: Warm gently in a pan over low heat with a splash of water until hot all the way through. Don’t use high heat or the shrimp will toughen.
FAQs
Can I use cooked shrimp for spaghetti with shrimp?
Yes. Add the cooked shrimp to the sauce for less time than you would raw ones, just long enough to heat through. Overcooking them makes them tough.
What can I use instead of white wine in the sauce?
A splash of chicken or vegetable broth works, though the sauce will taste a little less bright. Use the same amount, 5 tablespoons.
Can I make this dish less spicy?
Yes. Remove the seeds from the red chili, or use half a chili. You can also leave it out and the dish still works with garlic, parsley and tomato.
Why is my shrimp pasta sauce watery?
The sauce may not have cooked long enough, or the pasta was not drained well. Cook the sauce the full 2 to 3 minutes after adding the passata, and drain the pasta well before tossing.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving (1 of 4), worked out from the ingredients.
- Calories: about 900 kcal
- Total Fat: 28g
- Total Carbohydrate: 120g
- Dietary Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 40g
Spaghetti for Pinuccia
4
servings10
minutes15
minutes25
minutesSpaghetti tossed in a garlic, chili and white wine tomato sauce with jumbo shrimp cooked in their shells. A fast seafood pasta for 4, ready in about 25 minutes.
Ingredients
- For the sauce
14 ounces uncooked jumbo shrimp (king prawns)
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 medium red chili pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
5 tablespoons white wine
14 ounces passata or chopped tomatoes
- For the pasta
1 1/4 pounds spaghetti (fresh or dried) or fresh egg tagliolini
Salt, for the pasta water
Basil, finely chopped, to garnish
Directions
- Prep the shrimp: Peel only the middle part of each shrimp. Leave the head and tail shells on, since they add flavor to the sauce.
- Flavor the oil: Warm the 6 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the garlic, chili and parsley and cook gently, so they flavor the oil without burning.
- Fry the shrimp: Add the shrimp to the pan and fry for 1 minute, turning them once so they start to turn pink.
- Add wine and tomatoes: Stir in the white wine and the passata. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through and the sauce has thickened a little.
- Boil the pasta: Cook the pasta in lightly salted boiling water. Fresh pasta needs 2 to 3 minutes, dried spaghetti about 6 to 7 minutes. Fresh egg tagliolini cooks a little faster than spaghetti.
- Toss together: Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the sauce. Mix very well, so every strand is coated in sauce.
- Serve: Serve right away, garnished with the finely chopped basil.
