risotto style pasta with shrimp and spinach

Risotto is a style or method of cooking that is typically made with arborio rice, but risotto dishes can be crafted out of a number of different starches. Personally, I have made a risotto using barley in a pressure cooker before that was a good as any risotto I ever slaved over using arborio.

What defines a dish as a risotto, regardless of the underlying starch, is maintaining that starch throughout the cooking process in a way that binds the grains together and lends a creamy texture to the dish.

The other day I was reading Mark Bittman’s blog, Bitten, where he posted a link to a video of him making a pasta dish risotto style. When I shared this link with my friend and culinary cohort we were a bit flummoxed at how we had never thought to utilize this method in this manner before.

What I love about a risotto is that it is simply a canvas for a limitless number of flavor combinations. After scrounging through the pantry and refrigerator I pulled together enough elements to prepare a simple, yet tasty pasta dish using a box of dried pasta as the starch. The result was nothing short of amazing and I can honestly say that I can’t imagine myself making pasta any other way from now on.

If you really think about it, a risotto is a labor of love and can take thirty to forty five minutes of observant cooking to prepare correctly. This took about the same time, but considering I didn’t have to wait for several quarts of water to come to a boil and the pasta to cook before incorporating it into what I had sauteing in the pan it really didn’t take any more time.

Employing the risotto method with traditional dried pasta produced a single pot meal that not only was one of the best tasting pasta dishes I have ever made, but reduced what I had to clean up afterwards. Plus since you are adding the liquid while the starch gradually absorbs it, it is easier to determine the point at which the pasta reaches a true al dente.

hardware

• large saucepan or saucier
• wooden spoon, knife & cutting board
• measuring cups and spoons

software

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 shallot, finely minced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 pound box of penne pasta*
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 3 to 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups shrimp (51-60 count), shelled and devained
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained^
• 1 cup baby spinach, sliced into ribbons
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/4 cup parmesan reggiano cheese, finely grated
• salt and pepper to taste

* you could also use gemelli, ziti, orecchietti pasta or even broken up spaghetti

assemblage

• toast the pine nuts in the saucepan or saucier, then remove and set aside
• melt the butter in the olive oil
• when heated add the shallot, garlic, a pinch of salt and some fresh ground black pepper, then saute for two to three minutes
• stir in the pasta and toast it for three or four minutes
• deglaze the pan with the wine and allow the pasta to absorb some of the liquid
• start ladling in the chicken stock about half a cup at a time, stirring regularly as the pasta absorbs the liquid
• after you have added about 2 1/2 cups of the stock test the pasta for doneness, then test again with each 1/2 cup interval – depending on the pasta you are using you may need to add three to four cups of stock (with the penne I used it took 3 1/2 cups in total)
• add the shrimp along with the final 1/2 cup of stock you plan on using to the pan
• cover and allow the shrimp to steam for three or four minutes
• stir in the tomatoes and spinach and combine, then test the pasta a final time
• adjust seasoning, if necessary, then stir in the toasted pine nuts and parmesan cheese

presentation

This colorful single pot meal plates nicely in a shallow bowl with a little fresh grated parmesan reggiano cheese over top.