Venetian scampi alla busara consists of large, sweet, shelled shrimps bathed in a sauce made with fresh tomatoes, a little white wine, crushed garlic and a dash of chilli. The combination of scampi alla busara with al dente pasta is not exactly traditional, but it is delicious.
This recipe, featured in our latest cookbook, Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year, uses shelled shrimp instead of shrimp for convenience, with the tails used to give the dish a rich, savory flavor.
First, cook the pasta until it’s just a little more than al dente, then add a cup of the starchy cooking water and set it aside. The pasta will cook directly in the sauce, and reserving the cooking water will help the sauce coat the pasta better.
To add flavor to a simple tomato sauce, remove the shrimp tails and saute them with garlic in olive oil until the garlic begins to brown. Add white wine to the pan and reduce to create a garlicky sauce base.
Remove the tails and garlic from the cooking liquid and add ripe plum tomatoes, fresh basil, sugar and red pepper flakes. Simmer the sauce until the tomatoes are soft and jammy and the liquid has evaporated. The shrimp cook directly in the sauce, turning pink, and finish with pasta and a little pasta water. Remove from the heat and finish the pasta with more fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil for richness.
Start to finish: 45 minutes
1 pound spaghetti Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided, plus more for serving)
4 medium garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
1.5 pounds jumbo shrimp, shelled (reserve tails) and deveined (21/25 per pound)
2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
1 cup fresh basil, lightly torn
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.
Add the spaghetti and 2 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until just al dente.
Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta, return it to the pot and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until oil shimmers.
Add the garlic and shrimp tails and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring, until reduced by about half, 2 to 3 minutes.
Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove and discard the garlic and shrimp tails.
Stir in the wine sauce with the tomatoes, half the basil, sugar, chili flakes, and half a teaspoon each of salt and black pepper.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are soft and jammy and the juices have evaporated, 12 to 15 minutes.
Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp begin to turn pink, about 2 minutes.
Pour mixture over spaghetti in pot and add remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 cup pasta water.
Cook over medium heat, stirring with tongs, until sauce coats spaghetti and shrimp are cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes, adding more cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if mixture seems dry.
Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, add remaining basil, stir and serve with more oil.
