Shrimp Alla Romana Recipes

SHRIMP, ROMAN STYLE

Steps:

• Put the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chiles. When the garlic begins to color, cook carefully until it browns just a bit. Turn the heat off for a minute to avoid spattering, then add the tomatoes.
• Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until all are pink, 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning; the sauce should be quite strong. Stir in the mint and serve.
• VARIATIONS
• This consistency makes the dish ideal as a topping for pasta: just cut the amount of shrimp to about a pound-with a pound of pasta as the base, there's no need for more than that. Start the water for the pasta when you start the sauce and begin to cook the pasta at the same time as the shrimp.
• The same procedure can be followed to make this dish using squid, which should be cooked just until tender, probably even less time than the shrimp, or scallops, which will take about the same time as shrimp.
• Almost all shrimp are frozen before sale. So unless you're in a hurry, you might as well buy them frozen and defrost them yourself; this will guarantee you that they are defrosted just before you cook them, therefore retaining peak quality.
• There are no universal standards for shrimp size; large and medium don't mean much. Therefore, it pays to learn to judge shrimp size by the number per pound, as retailers do. Shrimp labeled 16/20, for example, contain sixteen to twenty per pound; those labeled U-20 require fewer (under) twenty to make a pound. Shrimp from fifteen to about thirty per pound usually give the best combination of flavor, ease (peeling tiny shrimp is a nuisance), and value (really big shrimp usually cost more than $15 a pound).
• On deveining: I don't. You can, if you like, but it's a thankless task, and there isn't one person in a hundred who could blind-taste the difference between shrimp that have and have not been deveined.

SHRIMP PATRICIO, SHRIMP VESUVIO, SHRIMP ROMANO

Steps:

• FOR THE SHRIMP PREP: Peel and devein leaving the heads and tails on. In a large skillet, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil. when the onion is translucent, and the garlic begins to turn golden color, add the shrimp and sauté till the shrimps are all pink, remove the shrimp from the skillet and plate, leaving the onions and garlic and remaining olive oil in the skillet.
• FOR THE PATRICIO SAUCE: Add the cream to the skillet along with the chives, bring to a slight boil, stir well, then take off the flame and pour over the plated shrimp, salt and pepper to taste. serve right away.
• FOR THE VESUVIO SAUCE: In a skillet, add the crushed tomatoes with the juice, Italian spices, and red chili flakes, and bring to a boil, take off the heat and pour over the plated shrimp, serve right away. salt and pepper to taste, chili flakes added to taste.
• FOR THE ROMANO SAUCE: In a skillet, add a cup of the crushed tomatoes with juice, the 1/4 cup of marinara sauce, and bring to a boil, then pour over the plated shrimp, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and serve right away.
• CHEF'S NOTES: Each recipe is for one person, I have included all three different sauces, so that you can choose how you want to make it.

BUCATINI AMATRICIANA ALLA ROMANA

Steps:

• In a skillet sauté onion and garlic in a sufficient amount of olive oil.
• When they are well cooked, add the crumbled bacon and tomatoes, season with salt and pepper (or red pepper).
• *if you are using the tinned tomatoes, mush them up in small pieces.
• Bring to boil and cook for several minutes until the flavours are well blended and some of the extra liquid is evaporated.
• Meanwhile cook the pasta al dente, and drain.
• Toss the tomato mixture together with the pasta, serve with plenty of freshly grated cheese.