Last Updated on August 23, 2023
This recipe comes to us courtesy of Odette Williams, The Wall Street Journal columnist and cookbook author. It’s inspired by the sizzling garlic shrimp dish from her childhood memories at an Italian restaurant named Trieste. Williams tells us that the wavy ribbons of mafaldine or the curly nooks and crannies of trumpet-shaped campanelle catch the shrimp, or, as she puts it, “allow” the shrimp to nestle into each bite. This dish is a heady tangle of butter, garlic and, of course, shrimp. WIlliams calls for making a breadcrumb mixture containing chili flakes and more butter and garlic to top the pasta with. She describes this ingredient combination as “one of life’s greatest pleasures,” and we could not agree more.
Ingredients
For the Garlic Breadcrumbs
- 1 cup coarse breadcrumbs
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic finely grated
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- Salt & pepper
For the Shrimp Mafaldine:
- 1½ lb ButcherBox Shrimp defrosted and patted dry
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large shallots finely diced
- ¼ to ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 8 cloves garlic finely grated
- ½ cup dry white wine
- Zest of 1 lemon plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 tbsp finely chopped chives
- 1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley plus more for garnish
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lb mafaldine campanelle or angel hair pasta
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium heat, sauté 1 cup breadcrumbs with 4 tablespoons unsalted butter and the 2 grated garlic cloves, stirring often, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the crushed red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cut each shrimp into 3 segments.
- In a large skillet over medium-low, melt together thebutter and oil, then add the shallots and red pepper flakes and sauté for a couple of minutes. Turn the heat to medium-high, add the shrimp and garlic, and sauté until the shrimp are just pink, a couple of minutes. Add the wine, lemon zest and juice, chives, ½ cup of parsley and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the wine has reduced by half, 4 to 5 minutes. Keep warm over low heat.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente or according to package instructions. Using a large spider or slotted spoon, transfer the pasta to the shrimp sauce along with about ½ cup of the pasta water and toss to coat. Serve the pasta sprinkled with the breadcrumb mixture and garnished with the remaining parsley.
- Serve warm with any combination of the optional sides.
