Food experiment #1: Shrimp & Scallop Arrabbiata

Having read how quickly and easily one could cook shrimp, I decided to give the little critters a try. After extensive research (as usual), involving several online recipe collections and blogs, complete with reviews and comments, and a couple of cookbooks, I selected the March 2007 Cooking Light recipe for Shrimp and Scallop Arrabbiata.

I made a few minor modifications to the recipe. I opted to substitute a couple of slices of thick-cut, smoked bacon from the Whole Foods meat counter for the 1 ounce of pancetta, boxed dried pasta for the fresh linguine, and chipotle crushed red pepper, also purchased from Whole Foods, for the regular kind. (The chipotle crushed red pepper added a subtle-yet-complex, smoky flavor to the dish.)

The shrimp was indeed quick and easy to cook, and I look forward to experimenting more often with shrimp recipes. This meal was also delicious, and I've added the recipe to my "Recipes to Keep" collection. However, G and I didn't think the scallops added much to the dish in terms of flavor or texture, and in the future, we'd prefer to modify the recipe a bit, as follows:

Shrimp Arrabbiata [4 servings]
Adapted from Cooking Light, March 2007

~ half a box dried linguine
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 lb peeled & deveined large shrimp
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp chipotle crushed red pepper
3 slices thick-cut smoked bacon, chopped
2 (28 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, undrained, preferably low-sodium
3 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Cook pasta, drain, and reserve.

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp. Sauté 3 minutes or until nearly done. Remove shrimp mixture from pan and set aside.

Heat remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, fennel seeds, pepper, and bacon, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Return shrimp mixture to pan and cook 1 minute until thoroughly heated.

Remove shrimp mixture from heat and serve over pasta. Sprinkle with basil.