Shrimp Recipe
This recipe is my new favorite and I think it will be yours too.
And all you need are:
- One pound of raw shrimp
- Two cups of salsa, with a pureed texture--not a pico de gallo variety
- ½ cup cup heavy cream
- 3 ½ cups or 8 ounces of uncooked ziti
- a tablespoon of butter or oil for sauteing
- four cloves of garlic, minced
- ¼ cup onion, diced
- cilantro, a few sprigs chopped for garnish, if desired
I'm especially excited about this recipe because it solved a problem for me. What to do with a jar of salsa that tasted too much like a spicy pasta sauce to serve with chips?
Usually if I try a new salsa that turns out disappointing I just save it to make salsa chicken in the slow-cooker. Even the most heinous salsa can properly season a pound or two of poultry.
But, Mr. 47 and Mr. 13 (!) have declared a six-month moratorium on chicken dishes. So I knew I was going to have to think outside a bird.
In a moment of inspiration, which usually comes while I'm driving somewhere, I recalled a spicy creamy tomato soup I once had. Then I knew that mixing a bit of heavy cream with the salsa and turning into a pasta sauce would be brilliant.
Salvaged Salsa
I'm always disgusted with the amount of food we waste. If I hadn't thought of turning the salsa into a pasta sauce, the jar might have languished in the fridge until it had gone bad. That ever happen to you?
The other great thing about this recipe is that it cooks quickly and the small amount of leftovers we had tasted even better the next day.
Shrimp Recipe with Salsa Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- One pound of raw, peeled shrimp
- Two cups of salsa, with a pureed texture--not a pico de gallo variety
- ½ cup cup heavy cream
- 3 ½ cups or 8 ounces of uncooked ziti
- a tablespoon of butter or oil for sauteing
- four cloves of garlic, minced
- ¼ cup onion, diced
- cilantro, for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- To begin, prepare. Set a pot of salted water onto boil for the ziti. Measure the rest of your ingredients, mince the garlic, dice the onion. Drain the shrimp and peel if you've bought it with the peel on.
- Once the water is boiling, add the ziti and set a timer for ten minutes.
- Melt a tablespoon of butter or oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about two to three minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and cook for about two minutes a side or until pink. Turn off heat.
- Once ziti is finished cooking, drain into a strainer. Add the shrimp to the skillet, add two cups of salsa and turn the heat back on to medium low. Stir shrimp and salsa until just combined. Add the cream--either heavy or light, your choice. Stir for a minute until well-combined with the salsa.
- Add the ziti to the skillet and stir until lightly coated with salsa.
- Serve with a few sprigs of chopped cilantro and a glass of red wine.
- Serves four
Questions you might have about this recipe:
How long should I cook ziti pasta?
Ten minutes is ideal for al dente or "to the tooth" otherwise pasta gets overcooked and can be hard to eat.
What kind of salsa should I use?
You want to use a restaurant style salsa, which has a thicker, pureed texture. A pico de gallo or salsa fresca might work but I don't think you'll have the same results. I used a medium spice, which when mixed with the cream tempered the spice level quite a bit. But use whatever spice level you like.
How long should I cook raw shrimp in a pan?
Cooking times depends on the size of the shrimp and how you're cooking them. For this recipe, sauteeing a pound of large shrimp in a pan on a stove top should take about four minutes. They are done when they turn pink and taste and feel like rubber when overcooked.
