Ingredients
3-4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, deveined, tails on
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 large shallots or 1 small onion, finely chopped
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 small dried or fresh red chili peppers, finely chopped or fresh peppers, thinly sliced or 1 1/2-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons butter
A handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 can D.O.P. tomatoes (28-32 ounces) and their juice, crushed by hand
A few leaves of basil, torn
1 pound linguine or thin linguine
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with two tablespoons olive oil, two turns of the pan. Wait for the oil to smoke, then add half of the shrimp and lightly brown, but do not cook all the way through, 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove and repeat, then toss with the lemon juice and reserve the shrimp. Add a little more oil to the pan and the shallots or onions, garlic, thyme, chili peppers, salt and pepper. Swirl and stir for 2-3 minutes, then deglaze with the sherry, reduce for 1 minute, then add the butter and melt. Add the parsley, tomatoes and basil and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the sauce for 10-12 minutes to cook down the tomatoes. Cook the pasta to al dente, adding the shrimp to the sauce after 5 minutes to let it finish cooking through. Add half a cup of the starchy cooking water to the sauce; drain the pasta and toss with the shrimp and sauce for 1 minute. Serve in shallow bowls.
