This has been a summer of pasta dinners for us, especially after our trip to Italy in early July. I love burst tomato sauces because they’re quick, easy, and much fresher than a can of sauce. My favorite tomatoes are sungold cherry tomatoes because they’re so sweet and flavorful, though any variety of cherry or grape tomatoes work well with this recipe. The sweet tomatoes, corn, and shrimp are balanced by salty capers and cheese and lots of fresh mint. Don’t skimp on the mint; it might look like a lot, but the payoff is delicious!
Summer Shrimp Pasta with Corn + Capers
Ingredients
- 6 ounces angel hair pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes (one heaping pint)
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 3 ears corn, kernels removed (about 1 ½ cups)
- 2 tablespoons capers
- ½ pound shrimp, peeled & deveined
- ½ cup freshly grated pecorino romano + more for serving
- Salt & pepper
- ½ cup fresh mint, chopped
Instructions
- Heat a large pot of water to boiling, then generously salt. Add angel hair pasta and cook 1-2 minutes shy of cooking time listed on package. Drain, reserving ½ cup of cooking water.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pan to medium high heat. Add tomatoes and periodically shake pan until tomatoes burst, 4-5 minutes. Carefully smash any stubborn tomatoes with the back of a spoon.
- Add white wine and garlic to tomatoes and simmer for 1 minute before adding corn and capers. Reduce heat to medium and cook 4-5 minutes or until corn is tender and liquid has reduced a bit. Add shrimp and cook until just pink on both sides, 1-2 minutes. Add pasta and toss to coat, adding a splash of reserved cooking liquid to help sauce coat the pasta.
- Remove from heat and stir in pecorino. Add salt and pepper to taste (be sure to taste before adding salt--the capers and pecorino both add a good bit of seasoning). Serve immediately topped with mint and additional pecorino if desired.
Notes
Substitute parmesan for pecorino.
Basil can be used in place of (or in addition to) mint.
Any size shrimp can be used, depending on your preference. I typically use medium (41/50 count) or large (31/35 count). Adjust cooking time up for larger sizes and down for smaller shrimp.
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