It’s A Pasta Fiesta Weekend, Folks!

I think it was last Friday when I cooked the Linguine with Shrimp and Spinach. Now, I give you another shrimp pasta recipe.

My brother is a fan of Gotti’s, an Italian restaurant you may visit at Megamall building A (actually not sure which building, sorry). When he learned that I graduated, he treated my aunt and I there. We ordered Mussels in Marinara Sauce, Shrimp ala Pobre and pizza (I forgot what kind of pizza that is, but I’m guessing four cheese pizza). He challeged me to recreate, or do a remake of the Shrimp ala Pobre, and since I got all the ingredients at hand, Sunday lunch was scrumptuous!

 This is my take on Gotti’s Shrimp ala Pobre. More on my brother’s critique and handy tips! You need to know my ‘mistakes’ (not actually mistakes, more of pagkukulang) so that when you do this recipe, yours will be perfection

Ingredients:

     Linguine Pasta (Gotti’s used Spaghetti) by the way I used 1/2 kg pasta

     Shrimp (shell it but leave on the tail)

     Shrimp shells (I’m going to tell you how to use the shells up! We want maximum flavor, yes?)

     1 can crushed tomato

     1 can chopped tomato

     1/2 cup tomato paste

     Basil Leaves (chopped, and whole leaves for garnish)

     1 garlic head

     Olive oil (if you don’t have any olive oil, then use regular oil)

     salt and pepper to taste 

     Chili flakes (optional, if your a fan of spicy food then by all means!)

 Procedure:

1. Cook your pasta as per instructed in the package. Salt it heavily, you want some flavor sipped by your pasta. Cook in when it’s just about al dente. How would you know this? Check minutes ahead the package instruction tells you it’s cooked. The best way to know is to taste it. Have a bite and if the pasta is chewy, then drain it. It will continue to cook even after you’ve taken it out of the water. 

2. Peel your shrimp but leave out the tails, don’t peel out the tails. Whykeep the tails? It makes a better presentation, believe me. If you want to get rid of the tails too, then go. It won’t hurt the integrity of the recipe. Whichever you prefer.

Now, you will see that you have a lot of shrimp head and shell. What do you do with this?

Put the shrimp shell and head in a pan, put some water in it just until they are covered. Sprinkle a little bit of salt and simmer for 30 minutes. What do you have?? A shrimp stock! You will use some of this lovely stock later in the dish. More on what you can do with the stock later in handy tips section.

3. Prepare the rest of the ingredients. Chop your garlic into bits (yes, you will need lots of garlic here, mmmm yum).  Chop also your basil leaves, to give your pasta that familiar aromatic scent, it makes the sauce authentic. 

4. Prepare your pan, put in some olive oil and cook your garlic until it’s soft, dont wait for it to turn brown. Not a good idea. Put in your 1/2 cup tomato paste in the garlic and oil mixture, sautee your tomato paste for a while, for about a minute. It gives the tomato paste a depth in flavor. Pour all (yes one whole can) the chopped and crushed tomato in. Stir. Put it some salt and pepper. Remember the shrimp stock? Now is the time to add in about 1/2 - 3/4 cup (depending on how thick/thin you want your sauce to be, I want mine a little thick). Let the sauce simmer for about 7-10 mins. After this, add in your shrimp. The shrimp will only cook for about 2 minutes, so don’t let it overcook, unless you want a rubbery shrimp (which I know you don’t).

5. Add in your basil and pasta. Toss the pasta lightly to the sauce.

6. Serve in a big beautiful plate, or get some for yourself! Bon a petite!

Brother’s critique! 

#1. I almost perfected the recipe! Just minor chages or alteration in the recipe, but close to tasting like Gotti’s

#2. MORE GARLIC! I only used half a whole head, that’s not enough. The more garlic-y flavor the better.

#3. Gotti’s used Spaghetti pasta, but i have none in the house so I used the linguine instead.

Some handy tips:

Tip #1: SHRIMP STOCK: Where do you use the left-over shrimp stock? Use it for soups! Maybe you’d cook pinakbet for dinner, use some of the stock. For chopseuy,etc

Tip #2: If you don’t have any fresh basil, you may certainly used the dried ones. But fresh basil is cheap, y’all. Costing around Php 25.00.

Tip #3: Why use three kinds of tomato sauce? Each of the tomato stuff enhances and gives the sauce its structure, texture and integrity. The crushed tomato serves as a thickener; chopped tomato for the texture, chunks of tomato gives the sauce the effect that it’s been cooking all day and also made from scratch; and lastly the tomato paste gives a depth of flavor.

Can you believe there were no left-overs for dinner? This recipe is a winner! Try it try it!