This easy recipe is perfect for your Italian style Christmas Eve Dinner
Ciao Tutti! I hope the rest of the Fall has treated you well and you’re ready for, I can’t believe it, Christmas. As we cool down I like to start eating heartier dishes and this spicy shrimp Christmas pasta recipe hits the spot. The full recipe is laid out step by step below and you can also see a clip from when I did a quick version of this on Global TV.
This recipe is a tomato based spicy shrimp pasta, which is perfect for the traditional Italian Christmas Eve feast, the Feast of Seven Fishes. Traditionally Italians would give up meat, among other things, on Fridays during Advent and on Christmas Eve. By giving something up, you were prepared to celebrate for the abundance of the feast day which is Christmas. If any of you are religious scholars forgive me if I’m not perfectly accurate but this is what I recall from Catholic School and a quick scan of the internet.
In my Family we always had a fish based pasta on Christmas Eve, La Vigila di Natale, at a table full of food surrounded by family and friends. We are, and were, truly blessed. Hopefully, you try making this recipe during the holiday season for those you Love. I wish you all a Blessed Buon Natale, Merry Christmas, and a joyous Holiday Season. Until next time always #EatwiththoseyouLove ®
Cooking Class Links
My January through December classes are open for registration. I have an amazing line up with some new classes. Check out my Crispy Crackly Porchetta class, or my Risotto class, along with the classics of Fettuccine and Gnocchi. Want to attend before the New year? Two spots just opened up in this Sunday’s Roman Pizza and Focaccia Class. Hope to see you there. Here is the link to the Vancouver Parks & Rec site with all my January through March Cooking Classes and Kids Camps listed.
Christmas Pasta – Spicy Shrimp Pasta Recipe
As with any recipe always use safe cooking procedures, & food safe practices. Health Canada is a great site for all food safe guidelines. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/topics/food-safety.html
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of Shrimp (If you don’t happen to have Shrimp you can make this tasty sauce with a can of tuna as well. Just sauté the drained tuna lightly and then follow the exact same directions. The picture of the dish has both Tuna and Shrimp in it 😉
- 5 TBSP of olive oil or if you want it to be really rich use butter. (that’s very French though)
- 1 large can of plum tomatoes (approximately 700 grams) that have been passed through a food mill or had the juice squeezed out of them. Discard the flesh or save them for soups. If you like a chunky sauce just dice the plum tomatoes or puree them. (Italian or Californian tomatoes are best but Canadian ones will work too)
- You can also use fresh tomatoes during the season. 1kg of very ripe fresh tomatoes sliced into even pieces. This will be less liquid and have some of the skins but fresh tomatoes have a beautiful flavour. Cherry tomatoes work really well too.
- 1 TBSP of tomato paste (I find this adds sweetness)
- 1 Large white onion diced (cut into even sized small cubes)
- 2 Medium cloves of garlic minced
- 1/2 cup minced, finely chopped, parsley
- 1/2 cup of dry white wine (This is optional. If you have it add it in, but if you don’t, don’t worry.)
- Chilies to taste. You can use whole peppers or flakes as you wish and adjust the heat to your own level.
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 500 grams Home made fresh pasta like I teach;) or
- 500 grams of Bronze extruded fettuccine. Linguini also works well. (Approximately 1 pound. The recipe below is written for fresh or dry pasta. For fresh pasta the cooking process will be quicker but all the other directions apply.)
How to cook Shrimp:
Remove the shells, and or heads, if using whole shrimp. You can use those for a stock or even add them to the sauce when you’re cooking it down for extra flavour. Just remove the heads and shells before serving. Toss your shrimp in a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Heat a fry pan or sauté pan large enough to hold all the shrimp spread flat across the bottom. If you have a pan that will be big enough to hold the pasta and sauce together use that.
Medium high heat. Allow the pan to get good and hot. Add your shrimp. Sear them until they begin to go slightly brown on the first side. Flip them and repeat on the other side for approximately the same amount of time or less. Remove your pan from the heat and remove the shrimp from the pan. They should be almost cooked through but not quite.
The Sauce:
Return your pan to a medium heat. Add the remaining olive oil or butter.
Add your onion, garlic and ½ your parsley to the pan. Begin to sweat them. This is a low slow cooking process where you want the onions to become translucent. If they begin to fry remove from the heat source and turn down the temperature.
Once the onions have become translucent add your chilies. Cook down for another two minutes then add your wine. If you’re not adding wine then skip ahead to adding the tomatoes. Cook the wine down for approximately 3 minutes. Now add your tomatoes and tomato paste. Boil 4 liters of water (minimum) in a large pot for pasta.
Bring your sauce to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer. When the sauce has started to thicken add in your shrimp and heat them through so that they are fully cooked. Season with more pepper, chili and the remaining parsley to taste. Remove the pan from the heat.
Combining the Pasta & the Sauce:
If you haven’t already boil 4 litres (minimum) in a large pot for pasta. Add your pasta to the water and cook until just before al dente
IF your pan is not big enough to combine all the ingredients follow these directions.
Warm a large ceramic bowl. When your pasta is almost al dente add a couple of TBSP of pasta water to your sauce to help the sauce emulsify. Put the sauce back on the heat and swirl until it has emulsified, combined, with the pasta water. aprox 30 to 45 seconds. Add two ladles of sauce to your warmed ceramic bowl.
Cook the pasta to al dente and add the pasta to the bowl, then toss it with the sauce. Finish it with more sauce and taste so that you can adjust the seasoning.
IF your pan is big enough for all the ingredients then follow these directions.
When your pasta is almost al dente add a couple of TBSP of pasta water to your sauce to help it emulsify. Drain your pasta immediately and add it to the sauce pan.
Turn your heat down to low and return the pan to the heat for 1 more minute. Swirl & mix to combine all the flavours until it emulsifies or thickens. Finish it with salt to your taste.
If you like more chew cook the pasta less. Easy. Plate it and eat!
An easy Christmas Pasta! A spicy shrimp sauce recipe that is tasty, and healthy peasant cooking in 20 to 30 minutes! If you enjoyed this one please share, like and comment then join us for a cooking class in Vancouver.
Merry Christmas, and always #EatwiththoseyouLove ®
Peter
Pasta Boy Peter ® – Cooking Classes Vancouver
Copyright Peter Ciuffa of Pasta Boy Peter Inc. 2023