Recipe #51 - Shrimp Tomato Cream Sauce with Lobster Ravioli

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Two firsts in this recipe for me. One, I've haven't cooked with shrimp until now. And two, I've never made a stock before. 

Peel and devein the shrimp, reserving the shells and heads. (If you've got them. I couldn't find any organic shrimp with the heads.) Chop the shrimp into bite-size pieces. 

To make the shrimp stock, combine the shrimp shells and heads, onion, and celery in a large pot. Squeeze the lemon juice into the pot, then add the lemon halves as well. Add the dried basil, oregano, thyme, peppercorns, parsley leaves and 3 cups water.

Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, skimming away any foam or impurities that have risen to the surface. Strain the shrimp stock and set aside. 

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the shrimp pieces until pink and almost cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and set aside. 

Add the shallots and garlic to the pan; cook and stir until the shallots have softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest, salt, and ground pepper. Cook for thirty seconds, then add the white wine. Bring to a boil and cook until the white wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp stock to the pan, bring to a boil, and simmer until the sauce is reduced by half(ish), about 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, fill a large pot with heavily salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in ravioli, and return to a boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the ravioli  floats to the top and the filling is hot, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain well, reserving a little pasta-cooking water to thin the sauce, if necessary (which wasn't for me).  

Stir in diced tomatoes and cream into the shrimp sauce and heat through. Return the shrimp to the pan, taste the sauce, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Fold the ravioli into the sauce. 

Place four ravioli onto each of the four warmed pasta bowls or plates and top with sauce. Garnish the pasta with chopped parsley and lemon zest. (Apologies for the crappy end picture above.)

Since my little sister, Teresa, moved to moved back to Memphis and in with me, I have been having to cook for 5 people. Seeing as this recipe only serves 4, I had to double it. Which worked out to my advantage because it turns out the leftovers are amazing the next day. I guess it had time to settle, because the flavors were more robust and distinct.  

Rating: 7

Time: 2 hours; Prep Time: 30 mins, Cook Time: 1 Hr 30 Min

Serves: 4

Nutritional Information: Amount Per Serving - Calories: 606 | Total Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 174mg

Ingredients:

For the shrimp stock:

1/2 pound unpeeled large shrimp

1 yellow onion, quartered 

2 stalks celery with leaves, cut into pieces

1 lemon, halved

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 tablespoon dried oregano 

1 tablespoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 

3 cups water

Fot the sauce:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 shallot, minced 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup white wine

1 cup canned petite diced tomatoes 

1/2 cup heavy cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

16 lobster ravioli 

For garnish:

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsely

1 teaspoon lemon zest