GARLIC SHRIMP AND WINE SAUCE

This sauce highlights ingredients from the southern Italian coast: sweet shrimp, plump garlic, intense tomatoes from the volcanic soil and bottarga, a small brick of pungent dried mullet or tuna roe, which is shaved or grated over pasta at the table.

Serving: 6

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 peperoncino (small dried red pepper), crushed
• 10 ounces medium shrimp, shelled (reserve shells)
• 2 zucchini, sliced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pound dried pasta
• Bottarga, to taste

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic and peperoncino. Add the shrimp and zucchini and toss to coat well. Set aside.

In a medium saute pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and shrimp shells and cook until the onion is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook to reduce until thickened. Remove the shrimp shells and discard, leaving as much of the onion in the pan as possible. Add the shrimp mixture and saute for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink and the zucchini has softened. Stir in the parsley and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and transfer to a warmed serving bowl. Toss with the sauce. Grate bottarga over the top and serve at once.

From 50 Great Pasta Sauces by Pamela Sheldon Johns, © 2006 Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC.