Mario Carbone’s penne with spicy shrimp was inspired by his childhood.
This recipe is reminiscent of the southern Italian seafood pastas that Carbone grew up eating with his family in Queens.
“What I love about it most is that it’s bright, acidic, and clean,” he said. “There’s no murkiness whatsoever, mainly because the tomato sauce and shrimp don’t spend a lot of time together in the pan.”
The Carbone Fine Food team developed the recipe to pair with its line of pasta sauces. In addition to the arrabbiata, which is used in Carbone’s penne with spicy shrimp, you can try the marinara, tomato basil, roasted garlic, and even the spicy vodka.
Carbone’s penne with spicy shrimp only needs a few ingredients.
To make the dish at home, you’ll need:
- Shrimp
- Penne pasta
- Carbone’s arrabbiata sauce
- Garlic
- Parsley
- Chili flakes
If you don’t have the sauce on hand, Carbone said you can always whip up your own.
His pasta sauce is made with Italian tomatoes (whole peeled tomatoes, tomato purée, sea salt, basil), along with onions, olive oil, sea salt, garlic, basil, crushed red pepper flakes, and oregano.
To begin, I started my very minimal prep.
Since I was making pasta for three people, I chopped a handful of parsley and minced three cloves of garlic.
Then I peeled and butterflied the shrimp.
I sliced down the back of each shrimp with a knife, making sure not to cut them in half. Then I used the tip of my blade to remove the dark vein running down the middle.
Once my shrimp were ready, I got a pot of salted water boiling.
To make three servings, I used two-thirds of a 16-ounce box of penne pasta.
I placed a sauté pan over medium heat and added some olive oil and the garlic.
Carbone notes that it’s important not to brown the garlic. Simply wait until the oil is infused and aromatic.
I added the shrimp as the smell of garlic wafted through my kitchen.
I seasoned the shrimp with a pinch of salt and plenty of chili flakes — I like a kick!
“There’s no need to be too delicate with the shrimp,” Carbone told me. “You want to cook it somewhat aggressively, almost toasting it.”
Then I added the arrabbiata sauce and checked on my pasta.
“This recipe calls for penne, but so many shapes would work well with the sauce — try it with angel hair, for instance,” Carbone said. “No matter what, though, make sure it’s al dente.”
Carbone’s pro tip: Cook the pasta for one to two minutes less than the package says to ensure you get it perfect.
I brought my shrimp and sauce to a simmer, then removed my pan from the heat.
After sliding the pan to a different burner, I drained my pasta.
I added the penne and chopped parsley, tossing everything together.
The parsley added a nice burst of color to the pan. I couldn’t wait to dig in.
I sprinkled bread crumbs on top before taking my first bite. The penne was delicious and light.
I was worried the pasta might be a bit plain, but Carbone’s recipe packs plenty of heat and flavor. The arrabbiata sauce and chili flakes give each bite a satisfying kick without overwhelming the palate. Even my dad, who hates spicy food, said it was the perfect amount of heat. My mom said it reminded her of “eating spaghetti and fish by the beach in Greece.”
My Greek family strongly believes that most things taste better with a bit of feta, and it was a great addition to this pasta dish.
Even if you can’t make it to Santorini this summer, at least you can pretend.
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