Broiled Shrimp Oreganata with Capellini in Tomato-Basil Sauce

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Jumbo shrimp butterflied open, mounded with garlicky oregano breadcrumbs, and blasted under the broiler for four minutes so the crumbs toast gold while the shrimp stay sweet and barely set. They land on a nest of capellini in a quick 15-minute tomato-basil sauce — the same trattoria plate you'd order out, done in a single hot oven pass.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb jumbo shrimp (16–20 count), peeled and deveined, tails on
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp dry white wine

• 1 1/4 cup panko or coarse dry breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 4 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 3 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 28-oz can whole peeled San Marzano-style tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
• 12 oz capellini or angel hair pasta
• 1 whole lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Start the sauce: heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat, add the sliced garlic, and cook 60–90 seconds until fragrant and just barely blond — do not let it brown. Add the hand-crushed tomatoes with their juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the sugar. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low for 15–18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Stir in half the basil, then keep warm off the heat.
2. Butterfly the shrimp: lay each shrimp on its side and, with a paring knife, slice along the deveined back almost through to the belly, stopping about 1/4 inch short. Open the shrimp like a book and press flat with your fingers. It should sit spread-open, tail curling up.
3. Arrange the butterflied shrimp cut-side up and snug together in a single layer in a broiler-safe baking dish or on a foil-lined rimmed sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and the white wine, then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Refrigerate while you make the crumbs.
4. Mix the crumbs: in a bowl, combine the panko, Parmesan, minced garlic, oregano, parsley, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pour over the melted butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss with a fork until the crumbs are evenly damp and clumpy, like wet sand.
5. Position an oven rack so the top of the shrimp will sit 6 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler on high for 5 full minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil for the pasta.
6. Mound about 1 packed tablespoon of crumbs onto each opened shrimp, pressing gently so it holds. Scatter any leftover crumbs into the gaps in the pan.
7. Broil 4–6 minutes, watching closely from minute 3, until the crumbs are deep golden and the shrimp are opaque and just firm at the thickest point. If the crumbs color before the shrimp are done, drop the pan to a lower rack for 1–2 more minutes. Do not flip.
8. While the shrimp broil, cook the capellini in the boiling water 2–3 minutes, until just al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, drain, and toss the pasta with about two-thirds of the tomato sauce, loosening with splashes of pasta water until it coats silkily.
9. Twirl the pasta into four nests on warm plates, spoon a little extra sauce alongside each, and top with the broiled shrimp, crumb side up. Scatter the remaining torn basil over, scrape up any toasted crumbs from the pan and sprinkle them on, and serve with lemon wedges.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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