Garlicky Shrimp (or Chicken) Pasta

You know when you go out to an Italian restaurant..and there is that one pasta dish with either chicken or shrimp with a white garlic butter sauce? If I don't get a pasta with marinara sauce, I will normally go for some sort of white garlic sauce and I am always very happy with my choice. However, with all of the successful "garlic chicken pastas" that I have had, I never really thought of making it at home past the restaurant doors.

In thinking about what to make for dinner tonight, I turned to a new cookbook that I recieved for Christmas called The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2010 (I know 2010 just started so I'm not quite sure why it's labeled that way). I knew I wanted to try something a little different and while flipping through the pages, I came across a recipe for Garlicky Shrimp Pasta. However, since we didn't have shrimp in the house (not a problem for me as I'm not a fan, but unfortunate for Brad), I decided to try it out with chicken and oh my goodness, I am so glad that I did!

I feel like this dish turned out exactly the way it would if it was ordered in a restaurant. Which really shouldn't surprise me. I mean, it's America's Test Kitchen right? ;o) Anyway, besides substituting the shrimp with chicken, I made a couple of other changes only because of lack of ingredients..mainly chicken broth for the white wine and clam juice and dried parsley instead of the fresh. But again, very good! Brad's only "complaints" (if you would even call it that) would be that it wasn't a very thick sauce..and because I used a lot of chicken broth, rather than the white wine and clam juice, he felt it could have been more flavorful. Even so, the next time I will tweak what I can but it is definitely worthy for a return appearance or even a special occasion dish. Happy Day!


Garlicky Shrimp (Or Chicken!) Pasta
Best of America's Test Kitchen 2010

Marinate the shrimp while you prepare the remaining ingredients

• 5 garlic cloves, minced (about 5 teaspoons)
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 pound large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined, each shrimp cut into 3 pieces)
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• salt
• 1 pound short tubular pasta such as mezze rigatoni, fusilli, or campanelle
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dry vermouth or white wine
• 3/4 cup clam juice (or you can use chicken broth as I did if using chicken instead of shrimp)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice plus 1 lemon, cut into wedges for serving
• Pepper

1. Toss 2 teaspoons of the minced garlic, shrimp, 1 Tablespoon of the oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Let the shrimp marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes.
2. Heat the smashed garlic cloves and remaining 2 Tablespoons oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is light golden brown, 4 to 7 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and use a slotted spoon to remove the garlic from the skillet; discard the garlic. Set the skillet aside.
   
3. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 Tablespoon salt and the pasta. cook, stirring often, until just al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water, and transfer the pasta back to the Dutch oven.
   
4. Meanwhile, return the skillet with the oil to medium heat; add the shrimp with the marinade to the skillet in a single layer. Cook the shrimp, undisturbed, until the oil starts to bubble gently, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir the shrimp and continue to cook until almost cooked through, about 1 minute longer. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a medium bowl.
   
5. Add the remaining 3 teaspoons minced garlic and the red pepper flakes to the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute; stir in the vermouth and cook for 1 minute. Add the clam juice (or broth) and parsley; cook until the mixture starts to thicken, 1 to 2 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and lemon juice. Add the shrimp and sauce to the pasta, adjusting the consistency with up to 1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking water. Season with pepper to taste. Serve, passing the lemon wedges separately.