Spicy Garlic Shrimp with Fresh Rosemary Served Over Penne Pasta
Shrimp sautéed with plenty of garlic, fresh rosemary, onions, peppers, olives, and a quick pan sauce flavored with tamari, Worcestershire, and dry sherry—tossed hot over penne.
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 3 ½ to 4 cups dry penne pasta (plus boiling water and 1 tablespoon salt)
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic (peeled and cut in match sticks)
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves (finely snipped)
- 3 medium onions (peeled and sliced)
- 30 extra-large raw shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- 1 green pepper (seeded and cut in strips (jalapeño noted in method))
- 1 red bell pepper (seeded and cut in strips)
- ½ cup pitted cured black olives (cut in halves)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons tamari sauce (a type of soy sauce)
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup dry sherry wine
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves (cut in chiffonade)
- Tabasco sauce (optional, 2 or 3 dashes)
Instructions
- Prepare all vegetables, shrimp, and measure out all ingredients, as the cooking goes swiftly and you want everything ready to add at the appointed time.
- Bring a large kettle of water to a boil, adding 1 tablespoon salt. When boiling, add the penne and cook until done (a little beyond al dente, but not limp). Drain and keep hot.
- In a large heavy sauté pan (or wok), heat the olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the matchstick-cut garlic along with the finely snipped rosemary leaves. Toss and stir until the garlic just barely begins to turn color. Using a slotted spoon, remove the cooked garlic from the pan and keep warm.
- Put the sliced onions into the infused oil in the pan (adding a little more olive oil if necessary) and sauté, stirring occasionally. Cook until just beginning to color, then add the shrimp and jalapeño pepper. Stir as the shrimp are cooking. When the shrimp are about half done, add the green and red peppers plus the pitted and sliced olives.
- Stir and cook until the shrimp are almost done, adding the garlic from Step #3. Make a well in the center and add the sugar, salt, pepper, tamari, Worcestershire, and sherry. Stir until sugar is dissolved, then toss and stir the contents until everything is coated with the sauce. Add the fresh basil leaves, stir again, taste for salt, and serve over hot penne immediately.
Notes
Use only extra-virgin olive oil—Colavita or Filippo Berio are good brands that are not terribly expensive. Buy olive oil in clear glass bottles with a greenish tint and a slightly fruity scent. Tamari is a type of soy sauce; regular soy sauce may be substituted (use a bit less). Use only high-quality sherry wine for cooking.
