Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Grams Made Capellini with Shrimp, Peppers and Salami

When I first started cooking a few years ago, my daughter, Katy, gave me a subscription to Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine. It's an excellent resource for a rookie cook and I learned a lot of great techniques and terminology from this magazine. It's still one of my favorite magazines. It's the only magazine that I save and go back to over and over again. None of the recipes have more than 10 ingredients and most of them have 8 or fewer. The recipes are also arranged seasonally, so they don't call for ingredients that are not readily available. This recipe came from one of the first issues I received.

Capellini with Shrimp, Peppers and Salami was one of the first recipes that became part of my regular repertoire. Grandad loves it and it's one of the few things he actually asks me to make from time-to-time. Make sure that you buy Genoa Salami (instead of hard salami) because most of the seasoning in this dish comes from the salami.

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 bell peppers, mixed colors (ribs and seeds removed) thinly sliced lengthwise
1 pound large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
2 ounces thinly sliced Genoa salami, cut into strips
1/4 cup pepperoncini, stems removed, thinly sliced crosswise
8 ounces capellini pasta (angel-hair)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add bell peppers, and cook, tossing, until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add shrimp, and cook, tossing until opaque throughout 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in salami and pepperoncini; season with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta until al dente; drain and return to pot. Serve pasta topped with shrimp mixture and pan juices.