Tonight's variation on the beloved Italian-American dish gets its ?devilish? heat from Calabrian chile paste, mixed into a tangy-sweet tomato sauce. It perfectly coats shrimp, cabbage, and lumaca rigata pasta. A garnish of sliced almonds finishes the dish with contrasting crunch.
1. Prepare the ingredients:
Fill a medium pot with water; add a big pinch of salt and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut out and discard the core of the cabbage; thinly slice the leaves. Peel and roughly chop the garlic.
2. Sauté and Season Shrimp:
Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper. In a medium pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned shrimp; cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until opaque and cooked through. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a plate. Set aside in a warm place.
3. Sauté Cabbage and Mix with Cooked Shrimp:
Add the sliced cabbage to the pan of reserved fond; season with salt and pepper. (If the pan seems dry, add a drizzle of olive oil.) Cook on medium- high, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the verjus and 1/4 cup of water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any fond, 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cabbage has softened and the water has cooked off. Transfer to the plate of cooked shrimp. Wipe out the pan.
4. Cook the Pasta:
While the cabbage cooks, add the pasta to the pot of boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 9 to 11 minutes, or until al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, drain thoroughly.
5. Make Spicy Tomato Sauce:
While the pasta cooks, in the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the chopped garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until softened and fragrant. Add the tomato sauce, 1/3 cup of water, and as much of the chile paste as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes, or until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Finish & serve your dish:
Add the cooked pasta, cooked shrimp and cabbage, and half the reserved pasta cooking water to the pan. Cook, stirring vigorously, 1 to 2 minutes, or until coated. (If the sauce seems dry, gradually add the remaining pasta cooking water to achieve your desired consistency.) Turn off the heat; stir in the crême fraiche until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top the finished pasta with the almonds and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!
