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The Boston Globe

Food & dining

Smart Cooks

Recipe for Pasta shells with shrimp, corn, and basil

Catherine Smart for The Boston Globe

Serves 6

After you simmer curly pasta shells, remove some of the pasta cooking water and use it to toss with the shells, sauteed shrimp, corn kernels, and basil leaves. Though Italian cooks do not mix cheese and seafood, this dish is sprinkled with a generous handful of Parmesan.

Salt, to taste
1pound curly pasta shells
¼cup olive oil
2pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
3cloves garlic, finely chopped
4ears fresh corn, kernels removed from cobs
1teaspoon crushed red pepper
1cup packed basil leaves, coarsely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
1cup grated Parmesan

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1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring often, for 6 to 8 minutes or until the pasta is tender but still has some bite. Dip a heatproof measuring cup into the pasta water and remove 1 cup. Drain the pasta into a colander and without rinsing it, return it to the cooking pot.

2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the shrimp, garlic, corn, and red pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until the shrimp are just cooked through.

3. Add the shrimp mixture to the pasta with the pasta cooking water. Cook over medium-high heat, tossing the mixture, for 2 minutes to heat it through.

4. Transfer the pasta mixture to a large bowl. Stir in basil, lemon juice, and Parmesan. Toss gently. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and red pepper, if you like.
Catherine Smart