Orange zest and juice add freshness to this sauce, which we like to make with small Maine shrimp, when available in their winter season. But you could use larger shrimp as well, cutting them into bite-size pieces after peeling. We use Gaeta olives in this dish, but other types will do, as long as they don’t come with a lot of additional seasonings.
To roast sweet peppers, see here.
SERVES 6
½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound medium-large (25-count) shrimp, peeled
12 black olives, preferably Gaeta (see headnote), pitted and coarsely chopped
½ dried red chili pepper, not too hot (New Mexico or Anaheim), chopped
1 red sweet pepper, roasted, peeled, and cut into long, thin strips
¼ cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
About 1 pound (500 grams) medium conchiglie (shells)
Over medium-low heat in a pan large enough to hold all the ingredients except the pasta, gently sauté the onion and garlic in the oil, stirring frequently, until very soft but not brown. While the onion is cooking, slice the shrimp in half lengthwise. (Smaller shrimp may be left whole.)
Add the olives, chili pepper, and sweet pepper to the pan, raise the heat slightly, and toss in the oil for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the wine and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is slightly reduced. Stir in orange zest and orange juice and simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes. Keep the sauce warm while you cook the pasta.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling bowl. Add salt and the pasta and cook following the directions here, until al dente, about 9 minutes.
While the pasta is cooking, reheat the sauce until it is simmering, then add the shrimp, tossing and stirring, just until the shrimp pieces turn pink—it’s important not to overcook and toughen the shrimp. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the pasta. If it seems a little thin, add a ladleful of starchy pasta water and cook down slightly to thicken the sauce. Taste and add salt and black pepper, if you wish.
As soon as the pasta is done, drain and turn into a warm serving bowl. Add the hot shrimp sauce and toss to combine. Serve immediately.