The Hearth
Meyer Lemon–Black Garlic Red Shrimp Orecchiette with Asparagus
HTH-010.1
Sweet shrimp, deep savor, and lemon to pull it together.
A store-inspired pasta of sweet red shrimp and charred asparagus over dashi-sauced orecchiette with black garlic, Meyer lemon, and butter.
Yeild
Servings
2
Prep Time
15
Cook Time
20
Rest Time
0
Ingredients
8 oz orecchiette
12 oz red shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 oz asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch pieces
2–3 black garlic cloves, mashed to a paste
1 Meyer lemon, zest and juice separated
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter, divided
Dashi no Moto broth, enough to cook pasta; do not add additional salt
⅓–½ cup reserved dashi pasta water, plus more as needed
¼ tsp red pepper flakes, optional
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Chopped parsley, chives, or scallions, optional
Methods
1. Cook the orecchiette in Dashi no Moto broth with no added salt until just shy of al dente. Reserve at least 1 cup of the dashi pasta water before draining.
2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the asparagus 4–5 minutes, until bright green with browned or lightly charred edges. Remove and hold for plating.
3. Pat the shrimp dry and season with black pepper. Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and cook the shrimp about 60–90 seconds per side, just until opaque. Remove and hold for plating.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add 1 tbsp butter, the mashed black garlic, optional red pepper flakes, and about half the Meyer lemon zest. Stir 30–45 seconds to warm and loosen the black garlic; do not brown it.
5. Add the drained orecchiette and about ⅓ cup reserved dashi pasta water. Toss until glossy, adding more pasta water as needed to create a light emulsified sauce.
6. Finish with the remaining 1 tbsp butter, about 2 tbsp Meyer lemon juice, and the remaining zest. Taste before adding any salt; the dashi may provide enough.
7. Spoon the sauced orecchiette into shallow bowls. Arrange the asparagus and red shrimp on top rather than folding them through. Finish with extra Meyer lemon zest, black pepper, and optional chopped herbs.
Equipment
Large pot; large skillet; zester or Microplane; shallow bowls
Notes
Do not add salt to the dashi pasta water. Plate the shrimp and asparagus over the pasta rather than folding them through; their color contrast is part of the finished presentation.
