Spaghetti with shrimps and black olives

4 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
3 cups Poultry/Meat Stock; (see recipe) or a mixture of canned chicken or beef broth
1½ pounds Jumbo shrimp; shelled and deveined
⅔ cup Dry white wine
6 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil
2 larges Cloves garlic; lightly crushed
1 medium Onion; minced
¼ cup Italian parsley; minced
1 Sprig fresh rosemary; (1/2 tsp. dried)
2 Fresh sage leaves; (or 2 dried sage leaves)
1 teaspoon Fresh marjoram leaves; (or 1/4 tsp. dried)
6 quarts Salted water
1 pounds Imported spaghetti
Generous pinch of red pepper flakes
4 mediums Vine ripened tomatoes; seeded and chopped, or 6 canned plum tomatoes, crushed with juice
30 Italian oil-cured black olives; pitted and chopped
Generous amount ground black pepper
Juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon
Salt to taste

Directions

Working Ahead: The sauce can be made early in the day to the point of cooking the shrimps. Cover and refrigerate until 20 minutes before serving.

Cook the spaghetti and shrimps at the last moment, and serve.

Making the Sauce: Combine the stock, shrimp shells and wine in a saucepan.

Boil, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes, or until reduced to about 1 cup. Strain, cover, and chill until needed. Heat the oil in a 12-inch heavy saute` pan over medium heat. Cook the garlic, rubbing the cloves over the bottom of the pan with a wooden spatula, until they begin to color. Discard the garlic. Turn the hea tup to medium-high to high, and quickly cook the onion, parsley and herbs 5 minutes, or until the onion is pale gold. Remove the pan from the heat, and discard the rosemary and sage. Cover and set aside.

Cooking the Pasta and Shrimp: Slip a serving bowl and shallow soup dishes into a warm oven to heat. Bring the salted water to a boil. Drop in the spaghetti, let it soften a few moments, and then stir to separate the strands. Cook at a vigorous boil, stirring frequently, 7 to 8 minutes, or until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain in a colander. As soon as the pasta is in the colander, place the saute` pan over medium-high heat.

Add the shrimps and red pepper flakes and toss quickly until the shrimps begin to turn pink, about 30 seconds. Add the reserved shrimp stock, and cook 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, olives, and black pepper, and cook over high heat another 30 seconds. Watch the shrimps carefully, they should be tender and succulent, not rubbery. If you have any doubt, stop the cooking by quickly adding the pasta. Turn the heat down to medium. Add the drained hot pasta to the skillet, and toss with lemon juice to taste. Add salt as needed. Turn the pasta into the warmed bowl, and serve in heated soup dishes. (Cheese is not used with seafood sauced).

Suggested Wine: Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay NOTES : Using a poultry-based stock is an old trick to bring out the natural sweetness of shrimps and other shellfish. A delicate, flowery olive oil from Liguria blends well with the sauce.

Recipe by: The Splendid Table - Lynne Rossetto Kasper Posted to MC-Recipe Digest V1 #1007 by Vondoop <Vondoop@...> on Jan 12, 1998

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