I love shrimp. But if we are being honest.. I cannot stomach those creamy shrimp dishes at restaurants. They are just too heavy for me!
So I put together this alternative: citrusy lemon, a little bit of butter, with lots of basil and thyme. Not to mention some blistered tomatoes topped with some burrata (optional of course).
Not for the carb adverse, I threw in some toasted ciabatta because it adds that perfectly crisp crunch. I used a ciabatta baguette for the crusty outside and the soft airy inside, but other types of bread will work too.
I made this after a long long day of work, and it only took about 30 minutes. We had plenty of leftovers, so I would say this serves about 4-5 for dinner.
Ingredients:
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups torn ciabatta bread (baguette style is great)
- Pinch of kosher salt
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 lb of shrimp (no tails, frozen is great)
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon thyme
- 2 large handfuls basil, torn
- 1 ball of burrata, torn
- 3 cups arugula
- 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic (you can sub 2 more cloves of regular garlic)
Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook fettuccine until al dente. Drain, BUT reserve one cup of pasta water for final assembly.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add bread pieces and a pinch of salt. Toast, tossing occasionally with tongs. After the bread browns (about 5 minutes), remove from heat and zest half a lemon on top of the bread. Set aside for later.
Put 2 more tablespoons of olive oil in the same pan (just wipe it down), and add rinsed shrimp to the pan. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of minced garlic and zest of the other half of the lemon. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until browned, about 6-7 minutes on medium heat. Remove from heat and then remove shrimp from pan once it has cooled down for a few minutes. Chop the meat roughly into bite size pieces.
Put final 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the same pan and add four cloves of garlic, pinch of red pepper flakes, and cherry tomatoes. Cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes until tomatoes are blistering and bursting. Add shrimp back into the pan along with the salted butter. Once melted, add reserved pasta water. Simmer for 3-4 more minutes.
Return drained pasta to the large pot and pour tomatoes and shrimp onto the noodles. Add your torn basil, thyme, arugula, and burrata on top. Toss with tongs until arugula is wilted. Serve while hot or store for up to 5 days!
