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Spicy Pasta with Shrimp and Tomatoes

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Alex Lau

For a hearty vegetarian version of this pasta recipe, use squash, mushrooms, or eggplants in place of shrimp. Check out photo step-by-steps here.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 Servings

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil
1 pound large shrimp (about 20), peeled, deveined, divided
12 ounces fideo, vermicelli, or angel hair pasta, broken into 3-inch pieces
1 medium red onion, chopped
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons sambal oelek
1½ cups canned whole peeled tomatoes (about 10 tomatoes), plus purée
¼ cup parsley, chopped
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
Lime wedges (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Real Talk: If you really, really, truly don’t have time to cook and want to shave off 15 minutes of prep time, buy cleaned and deveined shrimp. Boom. You are so welcome.

    Step 2

    Heat oil in a large pot over high. Cook half of shrimp until lightly browned and just cooked through, about 1 minute per side; transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Repeat with remaining shrimp; set aside.

    Step 3

    Reduce heat to medium-high and cook pasta, stirring to coat in oil, until noodles begin to brown and smell toasted, about 4 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is just tender, about 4 minutes. Add fish sauce and sambal oelek and cook, stirring, until sambal turns brick red, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, breaking up with a spoon, then stir in 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until pasta is tender and coated with sauce, about 10 minutes. Stir in parsley; season with salt and pepper.

    Step 4

    Transfer pasta mixture to a serving platter; top with shrimp. Serve with lime wedges alongside.

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