1 red or green bell pepper, cut into long thin strips
2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup dry sherry
2/3 cup chopped scallions
1 large ripe tomato, diced, or 1 cup drained chopped canned tomatoes
1/2 pound linguini
1/8 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
1/4 cup boiling water
2/3 cup frozen green peas
1/2 pound shelled shrimp, rinsed
salt to taste
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grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Bring a large covered pot of water to a rapid boil. While the water heats, in a large nonreactive skillet sauté the bell peppers, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne in the oil for about 5 minutes. Add the sherry. Stir the scallions and tomatoes into the peppers. When the water boils, cook the linguini for about 10 minutes, until al dente.
While the pasta cooks, stir the saffron into the 1/4 cup of boiling water and add it to the skillet. Reduce the sauce on high heat for a minute, stir in the peas and lower to a simmer. Add the shrimp and cook until they are pink and just tender, about 4 minutes. Taste the sauce and add salt if needed. If the shrimp are done before the pasta, remove the skillet from the heat. Drain the cooked pasta and serve it immediately in warmed pasta bowls, with the sauce ladled over it. Top with grated Parmesan, if desired.
PER 8-OZ SERVING: 243 CALORIES, 11.8 G PROTEIN, 6.7 G FAT, 30.9 G CARBOHYDRATE, 185 MG SODIUM, 85 MG CHOLESTEROL.
TOTAL TIME
30 minutes
SERVINGS
2
MENU
Begin a relaxed meal with crudités and Black Bean Dip (see page 46) or a selection of olives to nibble while the pasta cooks. Follow Pasta Valenzana with refreshing Fennel and Orange Salad (see page 67), and end the meal with Goat Cheese with Honey and Walnuts (see page 313).
Sherry and saffron each adds its distinctive bouquet to this dish, named for the Spanish port city of Valencia, the center of a saffron-growing region.