Bucatini Pasta Pomodoro with Shrimp
Bucatini Pasta Pomodoro with Shrimp is my favorite pasta dish that I make with store-bought pasta. Bucatini Pasta Pomodoro with Shrimp is an amazing dish and super simple. Just a few ingredients create magic in your mouth beginning with pasta cooked just to al dente and tossed with a tangy Pomodoro. It is even tastier because it is loaded up with with sautéed shrimp, fresh basil and a fresh grating of pecorino cheese. Yum! A glass of your favorite chianti is the perfect compliment to the dish.
Pasta, pasta, pasta
The size and shape of the pasta can greatly influence the taste and texture of the dish. Fresh pasta, dry pasta, long pasta, and short pasta – there is much to consider when determining which type of pasta to select. If you have never heard of Bucatini, you are not alone. I had not tried it until my honeymoon to Rome in 2016. Bucatini is a long pasta, plumper than spaghetti, but it is hollow in the middle.
I enjoy making pasta by hand and it allows me to control the ingredients. Typically I prefer to hand cut my pasta. Certain pastas are easier for me to make: lasagna, gnocchi, ravioli, and pappardelle are my go-to pastas. Spaghetti and linguini are still on my Not an Expert Yet list – but I will get there. Bucatini is complex and not a pasta I feel ready to make myself. I use a dry Bucatini because it has a firm texture ensuring the “tube” in the middle stays put. Dry bucatini holds it shape and the sauce.
It is very challenging to find whole grain Bucatini. Most Bucatini is made from Durham wheat, which is better than white flour. Durham wheat is more processed than whole grain and what is recommended on the Mediterranean Diet. To learn more about my decision to use Durham wheat when I am enjoying my Bucatini Pasta Pomodoro with Shrimp check out my blog Bucatini – A Controversial Pasta: My Journey.
Vegan Bucatini Pasta Pomodoro
The recipe calls for shrimp, but without shrimp it makes the perfect vegan meal. You will NOT feel like you are missing anything. Pomodoro is my favorite vegan sauce.
If you have read Olive Sunshine even once, you will know that my number one taste tester is my Sweetheart, Mark. He absolutely loves my Bucatini Pasta Pomodoro with Shrimp. When I make this dish it is like I have scored a homerun in a World Series! He just thinks I am a rock star. The funniest thing is it is the easiest dish to make. But don’t tell Mark. Every once in awhile I like to feel like a rock star! Let me know if you try it and what you think.
Ingredients
Instructions
Start a large pot of salted water on high to boil.
Pat the shrimp dry and season with salt and black pepper.
Heat a large skillet to medium add 2 tablespoons of EVOO until it shimmers. Add 1 tablespoon of the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds until the scent of the garlic is released in the oil.
Add the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes on both sides. Once the shrimp is translucent, remove from the pan, keep covered.
To the same skillet used to cook the shrimp, add the remaining tablespoon of EVOO and red pepper flakes until fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduced heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
The water should now be boiling. Add the pasta to the pot (keeping long, stir until it is fully emerged in the water). Cook al dente.
Reserve 3/4 cup of the water from the pasta, drain the pasta. Add the pasta, cherry tomatoes and shrimp to the sauce. Carefully combine the ingredients. The pasta should be lightly coded with sauce, if needed add the reserved water a tablespoon at a time.
Add the freshly torn basil and grated pecorino (if desired). Serve immediately.
If making a vegan version, begin at instruction #3 and use an extra tablespoon of garlic and olive oil. Top with nutritional yeast instead of pecorino.
What pecorino cheese are you using? There are 4 different kinds.