BLACKENED SHRIMP PASTA

PREP TIME

10 mins

COOK TIME

20 mins

TOTAL TIME

30 mins

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

BLACKENING SEASONING

• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika 
• 1 tsp thyme 
• 1 tsp oregano 
• ½ tsp cumin 
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper 
• ¼ tsp garlic powder 
• ¼ tsp onion powder 
• ¼ tsp salt 
• Freshly cracked pepper 

SHRIMP PASTA

• ½ lb. peeled and deveigned shrimp 
• 2 Tbsp butter 
• 2 cloves garlic 
• 15oz. can petite diced tomatoes 
• ¼ tsp salt 
• ½ lb. pasta 
• 2-3 green onions 
• Handful fresh parsley 
• 1 lemon 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small bowl, combine the herbs and spices for the blackening seasoning. Rinse the shrimp under cool water, drain, and then pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle the blackening seasoning over the shrimp and stir to coat.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until tender (7-10 minutes). Reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, then drain the pasta in a colander.
3. While the pasta is cooking, mince the garlic and add it to a large skillet with the butter. Heat the butter and garlic over a medium flame until the butter starts to foam and sizzle. Continue to sauté the garlic in the sizzling butter for about one minute. Add the shrimp and sauté until they are opaque and slightly firm (3-5 minutes), then remove them from the skillet.
4. Add the diced tomatoes (with juices) and about ½ cup of the pasta water to the skillet. Stir and cook over medium heat, dissolving the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Let the sauce simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Taste the sauce and add salt if needed (I added ¼ tsp salt).
5. Add the cooked and drained pasta to the skillet and toss with the sauce (add some of the remaining reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen the pasta). Return the shrimp to the skillet and stir to combine.
6. Slice the green onions and chop the parsley leaves. Sprinkle both over top. Serve with sliced lemon to squeeze over top.

NOTES

For a less spicy pasta, use ⅛ tsp or no cayenne pepper.

STEP BY STEP PHOTOS

Begin by preparing the blackening seasoning – In a small bowl stir together 1 Tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper (about 20 cranks of a pepper mill).

Rinse 1/2 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp under cool water, let them drain, then pat dry with a paper towel (that helps the seasoning stick). I used 25/35 size shrimp, but I think a 31/45 might have been even better. Smaller pieces means more pieces throughout the pasta.

Pour the prepared seasoning over the shrimp and stir until they’re well coated.

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Once boiling, add 1/2 lb. pasta and cook until tender. Reserve about one cup of the starchy water before draining the pasta in a colander. I used angel hair pasta, but you could use just about any shape for this dish. When using a long pasta, like spaghetti or angel hair, I find it helps to break it in half before cooking. It makes stirring in large pieces, like shrimp or diced tomatoes, a LOT easier.

While the pasta is cooking, get started on the shrimp and sauce. Mince two cloves of garlic and add them to a large skillet with 2 Tbsp butter. You really do need to use butter for this recipe to get that authentic “blackened” flavor. Heat the butter and garlic over medium heat until it starts to foam and sizzle, then continue to sauté for about a minute to cook out the raw garlic flavor.

Next, add the seasoned shrimp and continue to sauté until the shrimp are opaque and slightly firm. Shrimp cook very fast, so this should only take about 3-5 minutes depending on the size of your shrimp. It’s important not to over cook the shrimp because the longer you let shrimp sit on the heat, the more the proteins contract, and the more firm and rubbery they become. So, remove them from the skillet as soon as they turn opaque and firm up.

Now you’ve got all these fantastic browned butter and seasoning drippings stuck to the skillet. We NEED that flavor, so we’ll be deglazing the skillet…

Add a 15oz. can of petite diced tomatoes (with the juices) and about 1/2 cup of that starchy pasta cooking water. Stir to dissolve that good stuff off the skillet. Fire roasted diced tomatoes would also be awesome with this, but I don’t think anyone makes them in a petite dice, so you’ll have larger tomato pieces.

Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes to reduce and thicken. Taste the sauce and add a little salt if needed (I added 1/4 tsp salt).

Add the cooked and drained pasta to the skillet and toss until it’s coated with the sauce. Add a little bit more of the reserved pasta water, if needed, to help loosen the pasta (but don’t add a lot or you’ll thin out the sauce too much).

Finally, return the cooked shrimp to the skillet and stir to combine with the pasta and sauce.

Slice a couple green onions, chop a handful of parsley leaves, and slice a lemon.

Sprinkle the parsley and green onions over the pasta and serve with the lemon slices. 

I didn’t think of it at the time, but I’ve been adding a little grated Parmesan to my leftovers and it’s AH-MAZ-ING.

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