Cycle 14 – Item 270
2 (Mon) October 2023
Spaghetti with Seafood in Tomato Basil Sauce
3.5
by me
at home
-Changgok, Sujeong, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea-
with the Family
My favorite kind of pasta sauce to make at home these days (see most recently 14.126 Spaghetti Bouillabaisse), a trio of elements really upped the game this time. First, I started with whole shrimp; as per my gambas technique (see generally 12.343 Gambas al Ajillo), the heads were peeled and shallow-fried for a few minutes in olive oil, both to intensify their flavors and infuse the oil, which was drained and used later in making the sauce itself. Second, the heads were tossed into a pot of water with aromatics to develop a stock, as per my dominico technique (see most recently 12.233 Spaghetti Dominico). Finally, I used heaps of fresh basil from my countertop garden (see generally 14.236 Mini Caprese Salad).
It was awesome. Explosive shrimp flavor, enhanced by the rich perfume of basil, plus a touch of tang from the tomatoes. Perhaps my best ever.
Next time, with better seafood, including including fish, I aspire to 4.0.
(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)