Basil Shrimp with Shichimi Togarashi Pasta

 

Happy Tuesday Fellow Foodies!
I find myself now in Charleston, SC. This is where I will be calling home for the foreseeable future. There is a lot of amazing food and a great "food-culture" here in the Low County. Restaurants pride themselves on sourcing as much of their menu items as possible form the local, sometime boutique farms and farmer of the area. Charleston is an oasis of amazing cuisine in a vast dessert of southern fried everything.

One of the very best local products is the shrimp that is caught daily in the waters of South Carolina and Georgia.

I picked up a pound of locally caught shrimp the other day, and this is what I did with them:

Linguine with Shrimp Togarashi, and Basil Oil

Oil

½ cup basil

1 cup olive oil

 

Combine in a blender and puree. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Throw away and bits left behind. Save the oil in the Fridge up to 2 months.

Pasta

1 Tbs. basil infused olive oil

1 small onion (or 1 whole shallot)-minced

The zest of 1 lemon-reserve fruit for another day

1 garlic clove-crushed

 

24 oz. clam juice

½ cup dry white wine

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 Lb. Linguine, or your favorite ling pasta

1-1 1/2 Lbs. 24-30 count shrimp-peeled and de-veined

1 Tbs. Shichimi Togarashi

 

In a heavy sauce pan heat the oil and sauté the onions, lemon zest, and garlic over medium heat until onions are cooked through-about 5 minutes.  Add clam juice and wine; simmer until the liquid is reduced to about 1 cup. Add the cream and continue to simmer until the cream mixture is reduced to 1 ½ cups. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions-minus 2 minutes of cook time: Thus, if your pasta directions say cook for 9 minute cook only 7.

Sprinkle the shrimp LIGHTLY (this stuff is super spicy) with the shichimi togarashi and sauté in 2 Tbs. of the basil oil until done. Once the pasta has cooked to within 2 minutes of al dente, drain and place into the pot of cream sauce. Allow the mixture to simmer for 2 minutes until most of the sauce has bee absorbed by the now perfectly cooked pasta. Place your pasta in your favorite bowls and top with shrimp. Drizzle with a few more drops of basil oil and serve ASAP!

 

NOTE: This recipe works well with little neck clams, scallops, and crab meat too!