Bucatini is one of my favorite noodles. It is essentially a thick spaghetti noodle with a hole running through the center. The fact that bucatini is hollow makes it unlike any other noodle. The chew, texture, and mouthfeel are all unique to bucatini - it is simply a fun noodle to consume.
I love pasta dishes that are simple and allow the noodle to shine. In this dish my approach was to start with a few things that are well known to go great together and build from there: NOODLES + GARLIC + CHILIES + SHRIMP most likely = SOMETHING DELICIOUS.
Spaghetti Aglio, Olio, e Pepperoncino (garlic, olive oil, and chilies) has always been one of my favorites and eventually became one of my go-to end of shift meals at the restaurant because it packs so much flavor and can be prepared in so little time. I think of this bucatini dish as one of many variations of my experiments with aglio, olio, pepperonicno.
In my opinion, the pangratto or olive oil fried breadcrumbs are what bring everything together here. This recipe provides a small batch but you might even want to scale it up so that you have leftovers - you’ll find yourself throwing them on almost anything you decide to make throughout the week. The breadcrumbs can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container and will last for several days.
With regard to the shrimp I used the U-15 size on this particular day but you should use whatever looks good and is available. I like to get the large pieces, peel them, and then split them lengthwise. When they are split like this they twirl up when they hit the hot pan which makes them fun to eat and more of a “bite” size.
- Jimmy
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 8 minutes |
| Servings |
people
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- 1 lb bucatini
- 10 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons chili flakes
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 10 pieces shrimp, U-15 peeled and split lengthwise
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 2 oz arugula
- 1 lemon for zesting
- 10 oz reserved pasta water
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Ingredients
for the pasta
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- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt, it should taste like a really well seasoned soup. In another pot or a large pan (depending on how much pasta you are cooking) heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add the shrimp and season with salt. Cook the shrimp about half-way turning them once (about 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side). Using tongs, remove the shrimp to a plate. At this point you can begin cooking the pasta. Turn the heat to medium-low. Add the sliced garlic (adding a bit more oil to the pan if necessary). Add the chili flakes. Cook about 30 seconds to 1 minute or until the garlic begins to brown around the edges. Add the white wine and reduce by half. Ladle in about 7 ounces of pasta water. Add the butter and the shrimp and simmer the sauce until you are ready to add the pasta. Cook the pasta for about 1 minute less than it says on the package and add it to the sauce to finish cooking. Stir the pasta and the sauce together vigorously for a minute or two until all of the sauce has coated the pasta. Just before you are ready to plate fold in the arugula. Add more pasta water if the pasta seems too dry. After you have plated the pasta finish it by grating a little lemon zest over the top (using a microplane or the small holes on a cheese grater) and a generous sprinkle of breadcrumbs over each plate.
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