Flaming Shrimp Bigoli

My fascination with bigoli began many months ago. At first glance, bigoli may resemble spaghetti, but the pasta carries a character of its own. Slightly longer and noticeably thicker, bigoli possesses a firmness that allows it to hold sauces with remarkable grace, capturing flavors in a way that spaghetti often cannot.

That quality has made it an irresistible canvas in my kitchen. I have used bigoli in place of orecchiette in my classic Spicy Italian Sausage Orecchiette recipe, and it later inspired a more elaborate creation, my Calabrian Clams and Abalone Bigoli recipe. There is something undeniably alluring about the pairing of bigoli pasta, seafood, and the fiery oil derived from Calabrian peppers.

Ceramic bowl was wheel-thrown and glazed by me

Flaming Shrimp Bigoli is far simpler than that clam and abalone dish, though simplicity does not mean restraint in flavor. This pasta carries a direct and unapologetic heat. While the recipe calls for one tablespoon of Calabrian pepper oil, those with a cautious relationship to spice may wish to begin with half a tablespoon and build from there. The dish reveals its personality quickly, and once it does, there is little doubt about its name.

INGREDIENTS

[serves 1]

four ounces of bigoli pasta, uncooked

five black tiger shrimp, deveined and shelled

ten basil leaves

one garlic clove, sliced

one and a half tablespoons of lemon juice

one tablespoon of Calabrian pepper oil

one tablespoon of unsalted butter

a half teaspoon of lemon zest

Cook the bigoli pasta to al dente. Drain in a colander and set it aside.

Heat a nonstick frying pan over high heat and add the butter. As soon as the butter starts to melt, add the garlic, lemon zest, and shrimp. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté for about one to two minutes.

Add a half tablespoon of Calabrian pepper oil, lemon juice, the cooked bigoli pasta, and basil leaves.

After a quick sauté to evenly coat the pasta and shrimp with the oil, taste and add more Calabrian pepper oil if you desire additional heat. Continue to sauté until the shrimp are fully cooked.

Plate and serve while hot.

_____

More recipes:

Roe Rice Teacup

Coq au Vin Blanc

Slow Cooked Gochujang Chicken

Piquant Salmon with Ginger and Lemon

Cream Cheese & Crabmeat Fried Wontons

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