Pasta with Rock Shrimp, Chile, and Lemon

A luxurious pasta dish featuring succulent rock shrimp, spicy chile, and bright lemon, enriched with a unique bonito butter sauce. The combination of seafood flavors from both the shrimp and bonito creates a sophisticated take on classic seafood pasta.

4 servings
40 min

Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup bonito flakes
  • 2 teaspoons dried shrimp
  • 12 ounces pasta
  • 1 to taste Kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 whole red chile
  • 2 strips lemon zest
  • ½ pound rock shrimp
  • 1 tablespoon tarragon
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 whole scallions
  • 1 piece spice mill

Cooking Instructions

  1. 1.

    Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, then add bonito flakes; swirl butter to combine. Remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes to infuse.

    15 min

  2. 2.

    Strain butter through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing on solids; discard bonito flakes. Cover and chill butter until ready to use.

    5 min

  3. 3.

    Finely grind dried shrimp in spice mill or with mortar and pestle; set aside for serving.

    3 min

  4. 4.

    Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 3 minutes if using fresh pasta, longer if dried. Drain pasta, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking liquid.

    10 min

  5. 5.

    Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add chile and lemon zest and cook, stirring, 20 seconds. Add rock shrimp and cook, tossing, 1 minute. Add tarragon, lemon juice, pasta, 3/4 cup pasta cooking liquid, and 3 Tbsp. bonito butter and toss to coat. Cook, tossing and adding more pasta cooking liquid as needed, until sauce is glossy and coats pasta and shrimp are cooked through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt if needed.

    5 min

  6. 6.

    Divide pasta among bowls and top with scallions and reserved dried shrimp.

    2 min