Okay, here's another delightful recipe livius gave me followed by how I mercilessly abused it last night, just for fun.
Spicy Garlic Shrimp and Tomato Spaghetti
2 T bread crumbs
1/2 cup plus 1 T olive oil
3/4 lb spaghetti
1/2 lb shelled, deveined med shrimp, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 pint small yellow pear or red grape tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp minced rosemary
1 tsp crushed red pepper
s&p
In a small skillet, cook the bread crumbs in 1 T olive oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, 2-3 min. Scrape the crumbs onto a plate. Boil salted water in large pot. Cook spaghetti until just barely al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, combine remaining 1/4 cup olive oil with shrimp, tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, crushed red pepper. Add the spaghetti and the reserved cooking water to the skillet and add s&p. Cook over moderately high heat, tossing the pasta and lightly crushing the tomatoes, until the sauce is slightly thickened and the shrimp are cooked through (about 4 min).
Put pasta in bowls, sprinkle with bread crumbs and serve.
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Okay, sounds easy enough. Here's what happens when you're a bachelor operating on however many brain cells remain after 20 years of alcohol abuse:
Spicy Garlic Shrimp and Tomato Spaghetti
2 T bread crumbs
easy enough, always have some handy 'cause chicken cutlets are the BOMB!
1/2 cup plus 1 T olive oil
always on hand.
3/4 lb spaghetti
Oops. Well, I've got angel hair anyway.
1/2 lb shelled, deveined med shrimp, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Yeah I have some shrimp in the fridge. That's why we're making this. It looks funny but it doesn't smell too bad.
1/2 pint small yellow pear or red grape tomatoes
I've got a can of whole tomatoes... should work.
2 garlic cloves, minced
Grr. Out of garlic and my idiot housemate must've used the last of my garlic powder. It's not bad enough that you incessantly steal my food products, why not compound it with screwing me out of it.
1 tsp minced rosemary
Hmm... I guess that means mashed in the pestle? Or is it in the mortar? Which is which? Oh well, mashed it is.
1 tsp crushed red pepper
Got it.
s&p
Hehe. Didn't see this until just now. No wonder it needed salt.
In a small skillet, cook the bread crumbs in 1 T olive oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, 2-3 min. Scrape the crumbs onto a plate.
Easy enough Boil salted water in large pot.
Ok Cook spaghetti until just barely al dente.
Angel hair Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
I never do that 'cause I don't know why. Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, combine remaining 1/4 cup olive oil with shrimp, tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, crushed red pepper.
I'll combine what I have. But 1/4 c of oil? The ingredients list says 1/2 c. Add the spaghetti and the reserved cooking water to the skillet and add s&p.
Angel hair, no water, missed the s&p. Cook over moderately high heat, tossing the pasta and lightly crushing the tomatoes, until the sauce is slightly thickened and the shrimp are cooked through (about 4 min).
No, not really. Actually I cooked the shrimp in the oil, diced up whole canned tomatoes and limited spices (raw shrimp scares me), then dumped in the angel hair and mixed well.
Put pasta in bowls, sprinkle with bread crumbs and serve.
Hmm. Well I'm just serving myself. What do I do with the extra crumbs, toss 'em? Throw out perfectly good food? Nah, I'll just dump 'em all on top of my plate.
Okay now, my way wasn't nauseating, but I wouldn't call it magical either. It would've been better if I hadn't dumped all the breadcrumbs on top. Save them in a baggie for leftovers. Oh and always have fresh garlic on hand and I suspect fresh tomatoes would've been better. And spaghetti! Definitely use spaghetti. I'm not sure if fettucinni, fusilli or soba would've been better, but those were my only other alternatives.
