Croatian (Dalmatian) · Dalmatian coast · lunch

Adriatic Pasta with Shrimp + White Wine

pašta sa škampima

On the Dalmatian coast, this is the kind of pasta that appears on every konoba menu from Split to Dubrovnik — shrimp (or scampi when you can get them) sautéed fast in good olive oil with garlic, white wine, a little tomato, and finished with lemon zest and parsley. It's a weekday lunch that tastes like you're eating twenty feet from the water. The technique is Italian in spirit but the wine, the capers, and the restraint are distinctly Dalmatian.

• large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on or off

  1.5 lb

  680g

• linguine or spaghetti

  12 oz

  340g

• extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  6 tbsp

  90ml

• garlic cloves, thinly sliced

  6 cloves

  18g

• dry white wine (Croatian Pošip or Grk if you can find it; otherwise any dry Italian white like Pinot Grigio)

  3/4 cup

  180ml

• canned whole San Marzano-style tomatoes, crushed by hand

  1 cup

  240ml

• brine-cured capers, rinsed

  2 tbsp

  17g

  Substitution · quality varies widely

  Original: Maltese or Dalmatian salt-packed capers. Salt-packed capers from a specialty store or online are noticeably more flavorful — rinse them well. Standard brine-cured capers from any US grocery work fine here.

• lemon, zested and juiced

  1 large

  1 large

• fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

  1/2 cup loosely packed

  15g

• fine sea salt

  1 tsp, plus more for pasta water

  6g, plus more for pasta water

• black pepper, freshly ground

  1/2 tsp

  1g

• red pepper flakes (optional)

  1/4 tsp

  0.5g

1. 01

   10 min

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil — at least 4 quarts (3.8L). Salt it generously until it tastes like mild seawater. While it heats, pat the shrimp completely dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt and pepper. Dry shrimp sear; wet shrimp steam — this matters.

2. 02

   5 min

   Peel and thinly slice all 6 garlic cloves. Crush the canned tomatoes by hand in a bowl (or use a fork). Zest the lemon fully before you juice it — it's much easier that way. Set everything near the stove; this dish moves fast once it starts.

3. 03

   9 min

   Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook 1 to 2 minutes less than the package directions — you'll finish it in the sauce. Before draining, scoop out about 1 cup (240ml) of starchy pasta water and set it aside.

4. 04

   5 min

   While the pasta cooks, heat 3 tbsp (45ml) of the olive oil in a large, wide skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add the shrimp in a single layer — don't crowd them; work in two batches if needed. Sear without moving for 90 seconds, flip, cook 60 seconds more. They should be just pink and slightly underdone in the center. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

5. 05

   2 min

   Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 3 tbsp (45ml) olive oil to the same pan. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes if using. Cook, stirring, for about 90 seconds until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to turn golden at the edges — don't let it brown fully or it will turn bitter.

6. 06

   5 min

   Pour in the white wine. It will sizzle hard — that's right. Let it reduce by about half, scraping up any browned bits from the shrimp, about 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and capers. Stir and simmer for 3 minutes until the sauce tightens slightly.

7. 07

   3 min

   Add the drained pasta directly to the skillet. Toss everything together over medium heat, adding pasta water a splash at a time (you may use up to 1/2 cup / 120ml) until the sauce coats the noodles and looks glossy rather than watery, about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp back in during the last 30 seconds just to warm through — don't overcook them.

8. 08

   1 min

   Off the heat, add the lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice (start with half the lemon, taste, add more if you like), and the chopped parsley. Toss once more. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve immediately in warm bowls with a drizzle of your best olive oil over the top.

• · Could not parse amount_metric: "1 large"
• · lemon: no grams conversion

Reheating · Fish dries quickly when reheated. Use low heat with moisture, or serve cold over salad.

Source: foodkeeper