Spaghetti with Shrimp, Tomatoes and White Wine
- Makes4 to 6 servings
- Cook Time45 minutes
- 7
In Venice, Italy, cookbook author Marika Contaldo Seguso taught us to make a regional classic, scampi alla busara. Large, sweet, shell-on prawns are bathed in a sauce made with fresh tomatoes and flavored with a splash of white wine, smashed garlic cloves and a sprinkling of pepper flakes. She paired her scampi alla busara with al dente pasta, a terrifically delicious, though not strictly traditional, combination. We adapted Seguso’s recipe using shelled shrimp in place of the prawns; to build flavor into our sauce, we briefly simmer the shrimp tails in the wine reduction, then remove them before the tomatoes are added.
Don’t use more than 3 quarts of water to boil the spaghetti. The aim is for the pasta water to be extra-starchy, as some of it is reserved (don’t forget to set aside about 1 cup before draining) and used near the end of cooking to give the sauce some clingability. Also, don’t boil the spaghetti until al dente. Drain it when it’s just shy of al dente, as it will finish cooking directly in the sauce.
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