Name: Spicy Mexican Shrimp Pasta
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 pound (454 g) jumbo shell-on shrimp (16 to 20 count), peeled and deveined, shells reserved; 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more to taste; for table salt, use half as much by volume; 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; 8 tablespoons (114 g) unsalted butter; 10 medium cloves garlic (50 g); 5 serrano chiles (50 g), stemmed, deveined, and seeded if desired (see notes); 1 pound dried linguine or fettuccine; 2 teaspoons grated lime zest plus 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lime juice from 1 whole lime, divided; 1 loosely packed cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced

Ingredients

4 serv.

1 pound (454 g) jumbo shell-on shrimp (16 to 20 count), peeled and deveined, shells reserved
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more to taste; for table salt, use half as much by volume
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
8 tablespoons (114 g) unsalted butter
10 medium cloves garlic (50 g)
5 serrano chiles (50 g), stemmed, deveined, and seeded if desired (see notes)
1 pound dried linguine or fettuccine
2 teaspoons grated lime zest plus 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lime juice from 1 whole lime, divided
1 loosely packed cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced

Instructions

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1 Cut shrimp in half crosswise. In a large bowl, toss shrimp with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and baking soda. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
2 Meanwhile, in a large skillet, add butter and reserved shrimp shells and heat over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted and bubbling and shells are bright orange, 7 to 10 minutes. In a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, strain butter with shells. Discard shells and return shrimp-infused butter to skillet.
3 In a mortar and pestle, smash serranos and garlic into a rough paste; alternatively, finely mince by hand. Set aside.
4 In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta, stirring frequently for first 30 seconds to prevent sticking, until pasta is just shy of al dente (about 2 minutes less than package directions). Drain pasta, reserving 2 cupscooking water.
5 Return skillet with butterto medium heat. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, transfer shrimp to a bowl or plate.
6 Reduce heat to medium-low and add crushed serranos and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture softens and is aromatic, 3 to 5 minutes.
7 Remove pan from heat. Stir in lime juice.
8 Add pasta and 1 1/2 cups reserved cooking water, set over high heat, and cook, stirring and tossing rapidly, until pasta is al dente and sauce is slightly thickened and noodles are glossy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add additional pasta water, a few tablespoons at a time, if needed, to evenly coat the pasta.
9 Add cooked shrimp, lime zest, and cilantro and toss to combine. Season with salt to taste. Serve immediately.