New Recipe Sunday #4

Broken Pappardelle with Shrimp and Zucchini
Source: Food and Wine Magazine

You will need:

• 1/2 pound pappardelle, broken into 2-inch lengths
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound small zucchini, thinly sliced (3 1/2 cups)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 1 large jalapeño, seeded (optional) and thinly sliced
• 1 pound shelled and deveined medium shrimp, halved lengthwise
• 1/2 pound thin asparagus, cut into 1/2-inch lengths
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons snipped chives

1. Cook the broken pappardelle in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just al dente. Drain the pappardelle, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil over high heat in a very large skillet. Add the sliced zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Cook the zucchini over high heat, stirring occasionally, until it is browned in spots, approx. 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno and cook for 1 minute. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and add to the skillet. Add the asparagus. Cook, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes, until the shrimp is pink and starting to curl but not cooked through entirely.
3. Add the cooked pappardelle and heavy cream to the skillet. Simmer over moderately low heat, tossing until the shrimp are cooked through and the sauce is thickened slightly. This will take approx. 2-3 minutes. Add the pasta cooking water a little bit at a time if the sauce seems dry. Stir in the chives and serve immedaitely.

Cooking Notes: (a) 1 pound zucchini = 3-4 average size squashes. (b) The fastest way to break up the pappardelle is with a mallet and a light hand. (c) You can either omit the jalapeno entirely or remove the seeds if you have an aversion to spicy foods. (d) Halving the shrimp lengthwise is a pain, but necessary. (e) This recipe is an exercise in timing. Don't start cooking the shrimp & vegetable mixture until the pasta is already added to the boiling water.

Eddie's Rating: "Make it again!" This reaction was in large part due to the fact that I had left in all the seeds of the jalapeno, which added a definite kick to this pasta dish.

I apologize for the lack of a photo. I was distracted with other thoughts most of this weekend. I tried to find one on Food & Wine's website, but they were no help. :( Just take my word that it is a very pretty looking dish between the creamy color of the pasta, the pale pink pieces of shrimp and the bright green of the veggies. It's a great summertime pasta dish.