Shrimp Pasta with Creamy Tomato Basil Sauce -- The Sauce That Smelled Like Something That Mattered

August and the school prep list is now officially allowed to be looked at. I have been teaching for four years and I still feel the late August combination of reluctance and readiness — reluctance because summer is good and the lake is still warm and Pedro has now produced three more peppers; readiness because my students need me and I need them in that specific way teachers do, the mutual dependency that is actually symbiotic growth.

New classroom this year — a different configuration, some new students, some students I have had before who are making the transition to a new level. I have been doing home visits when I can, which is extra work that is not technically required but which has always paid off in the first weeks of school. Knowing where a kid lives, what their home is like, whether they have a quiet place to work — that information changes how I teach them. It takes time I do not technically have and gives back more than it costs.

I made tomato sauce this week from the balcony tomatoes — all of them, the full harvest, enough to fill four mason jars that are now in the freezer labeled Balcony Summer 2021. Ryan stood over the pot while it simmered and said it smelled like something that mattered. I said it smells like tomatoes and olive oil and garlic. He said yes that is what I said. He is right about that. The things that smell like something that matters are usually the simplest things.

The blog post was the garden sauce and a reflection on the first summer as a married person, which I apparently cannot stop noting despite my intention in June to stop noting it. But here is the truth: this summer has been the best summer I have had in five years and possibly longer, and it has been built from the simplest materials — the balcony, the farmers market, the stand mixer, the person who wakes me up about peppers and comes home from 24-hour shifts and eats soup at 11 PM and saves my fridge notes. That is the summer. That is the whole thing.

The balcony tomatoes that went into those four labeled mason jars? Some of them found their way into this recipe first — a trial run before the big batch, a way of tasting the summer before putting it away. Shrimp pasta with a creamy tomato basil sauce is the kind of meal that rewards simple ingredients treated with a little attention, which felt exactly right for a summer that had been exactly that. Ryan came home from a shift, I reheated it, and we ate it late in the kitchen the way we have been eating things all summer — without ceremony, but not without gratitude.

Shrimp Pasta with Creamy Tomato Basil Sauce

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 12 oz linguine or spaghetti
• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes (or 2 cups fresh, chopped)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar (to balance acidity)
• 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, torn or chiffonade
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, for serving

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining, then drain and set aside.
2. Season the shrimp. Pat shrimp dry and season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
3. Sear the shrimp. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook 1—2 minutes per side until pink and just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
4. Build the sauce. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, about 60 seconds until fragrant. Add white wine if using and let it reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
5. Add tomatoes and cream. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, stir in the heavy cream, salt, pepper, and sugar. Simmer over medium-low heat for 8—10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the flavors have come together.
6. Combine. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water a splash at a time if needed to loosen. Return the shrimp to the pan and fold gently to warm through, about 1 minute.
7. Finish and serve. Remove from heat and stir in fresh basil. Divide among bowls and top with grated Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 520 | Protein: 32g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 58g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 620mg