I made this for dinner last night and it turned out so nicely I thought I’d share it. I basically invented this as I went along and, when the dish was completed, I noticed that it had the colors of the Italian flag. The entire preparation time from stem to stern was 15 minutes.
Spaghetti Tricolore
Serves 2
½ lb. large shrimp (26-30/lb.), cleaned, de-veined, heads and shells removed
½ medium onion, peeled and sliced thin lengthwise
½ large red bell pepper, cleaned, de-veined, seeds removed, sliced thin lengthwise
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled, crushed, and minced
½ lb. green beans, fresh or frozen (if fresh are used, clean, trim, and blanche for two minutes in boiling water)
1 Tbsp. fresh basil, cleaned and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Splash of grappa, light rum, vodka or whatever strikes your fancy
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Put your spaghetti on to boil (roughly ten minutes). When it’s done, drain and put aside.
- While the spaghetti is cooking, saute the onions and bell pepper in the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until the onions are transparent (2-3 minutes).
- Add the shrimp and garlic and saute another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the blanched (or frozen) green beans, stir, cover, and cook for 6-8 minutes until the shrimp are just cooked through.
- Add the basil, adjust the seasoning, add the splash of grappa (or what-have-you), and flame until the alcohol’s cooked off.
- Add the pasta and stir to mix all the ingredients.
- Serve with grated parmesan on top.
I used De Cecco whole wheat spaghetti in preparing this dish. It has a texture that’s generally superior to other whole wheat pastas, a very nice flavor, and less net carbs than most pastas (for those who worry about such things).
