Pasta con Ragú de Langostinos. NYT.

DINING & WINE

To Toss the Shells Is to Discard Flavor By Mark Bittman (The Minimalist) Published: August 15, 2007

Evan Sung for The New York Times A bit of green Marjoram is the herb of choice for this shrimp dish.

SHRIMP shells pose a problem for good cooks. Leaving them on unquestionably enhances any shrimp dish, because their flavor is about as strong as that of the meat. Peeling shrimp at the table, however delicious, is a messy and sometimes finger-burning job. Removing the shells beforehand is easy enough, but for someone who cares about taste, discarding them seems akin to a sin. In some cases, you can eat the shells, which resolves this problem, but the shells must be thin and you and your guests adventuresome. Enter shrimp-shell stock, the most easily and quickly made stock there is, the one that provides the most punch for the least hassle. To make it, take the shrimp shells, cover them in water — you can add aromatics like carrots and onions, but it's hardly necessary — bring to a boil, simmer for a few minutes, and drain. When you are done you have essence of shrimp, a broth of a very high order, the perfect liquid for seafood risottos, stews and soups. It's perfect, too, for a shrimp-based pasta sauce. I first tried this little ragù — it has some of the same seasoning as the classic meat sauce of central Italy — in Venice, where it was made with the soft, small local shrimp and fresh pasta. At home, duplicating it was difficult for me: I make fresh pasta only for visiting dignitaries and they don't come over often. Fresh shrimp aren't easy to come by either: about 95 percent of the shrimp sold in the United States is frozen before sale. If you do luck into them, though, they will contribute mightily to the overall quality of the dish. Even with more conventional shrimp, the sauce is unusual and appealing. Fresh marjoram is definitely the herb of choice, though fresh oregano is an adequate substitute, and a handful of basil, which changes things a bit, is also good. In any case, do not use dried herbs here. The key, though, is the shrimp-shell stock, which reduces in the sauce and lends a kind of potency that's doubly enjoyable when you consider how economical it is.

See Video The Minimalist, a.k.a. Mark Bittman, shows how to make his shrimp ragu.

Recipe: Pasta With Shrimp Ragù

Pasta With Shrimp Ragù

Time: 40 minutes 1 1/2 pounds medium-to-large shrimp, in their shells Salt and ground black pepper Pinch cayenne 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 medium or 1 large chopped onion 1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped 1 large or 3 plum tomatoes, chopped, with juice 1 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram or oregano, plus a few leaves for garnish 1 pound pasta, preferably fresh. Shell shrimp; boil shells with just enough water to cover, a large pinch of salt, a grinding of pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Simmer 10 minutes, then drain, reserving liquid (discard shells). Bring a pot of water to boil for pasta and salt it. Meanwhile, finely chop about a third of the shrimp. Put olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; a minute later add onion and carrot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are quite soft, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, herb and chopped shrimp, and cook, still over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes begin to break down. Add stock from shrimp shells and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is no longer soupy but still moist. When sauce is almost done, cook pasta. When pasta has about 5 minutes to go, stir whole shrimp into sauce. Serve pasta with sauce and shrimp, garnished with a few leaves of marjoram or oregano. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Copyright by the New York Times 2007