Shrimp Puttanesca

BY CASSANDRA HAMMERSTONE

May 2024

Get ready to make my favorite fresh tomato sauce. I roast onions and garlic with sweet, juicy Campari tomatoes until their delicate skins burst, then whir them in a blender for a light, flavorful sauce that can be taken in so many different directions.  

This time, we’re headed straight toward a lightened-up Puttanesca. Puttanesca is typically a deep, rich sauce a made with loads of salty, briny capers and olives… and anchovies. I know -- it’s either your favorite ingredient or it isn’t. Don’t worry, I’m using a substitution that can keep us all happy. And I’m serving this with loads of shrimp and crusty bread to soak up every last drop.

Add the tomatoes, garlic and onion in an even layer to a medium baking dish and them coat with a tablespoon of olive oil and a quarter teaspoon of kosher salt. Roast at 425° for about 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to brown and burst, and the garlic and onions are soft.

I always use Campari tomatoes for any fresh sauce. Campari tomatoes are available most of the year, since they’re cultivated in greenhouses. But they’re easy to grow or find locally at farmers markets whenever tomatoes are in season in your region. They’re very sweet and have delicate skins that will burst quickly and puree easily. They’re also intensely juicy, so just a few tomatoes go a long way to making enough sauce for a meal.

Pour the burst tomatoes and all of their juices, along with the garlic and the onion into a high-powered blender or food processor and add the chicken stock (or vegetable stock, if you prefer). Blend until the sauce is smooth.

Pat the shrimp until they’re completely dry and season generously with salt. I’m using large shrimp or 21/25, which means there are around 21 to 25 shrimp per pound. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet and cook the shrimp for one to two minutes on each side. Remove from the pan before they’re fully cooked and set aside. They’ll finish cooking in the sauce later.

Deglaze the pan with the white and stir in the pureed tomato sauce, olives, capers, Worcestershire sauce and red pepper flakes, if you choose to add a little heat.

Puttanesca sauce traditionally has anchovies which boost umami and pair well with the briny olives and capers. Worcestershire sauce is an easy substitution, since it contains anchovies, and you’re more likely to have a bottle in your fridge.

Let the sauce simmer for five to ten minutes, season to taste, then add the shrimp back in to finish cooking, another minute or two more.

Puttanesca sauce traditionally has anchovies which boost umami and pair well with the briny olives and capers. Worcestershire sauce is an easy substitution, since it contains anchovies, and you’re more likely to have a bottle in your fridge.

To serve, spoon the sauce into bowls and top with the shrimp, garnish with parsley and additional red pepper flakes, and serve with crusty bread, as you would a bowl of cioppino or mussels.

---

SHRIMP PUTTANESCA

Season: Spring, Summer

Serves four

ingredients

1½ lbs Campari tomatoes

½ medium onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, whole and peeled

2 tbsp olive oil, divided

¼ tsp kosher salt

¼ cup chicken or vegetable stock

1 lb large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

½ cup white wine

1 cup olives, preferably Castelvetrano or Kalamata

2 tbsp capers, rinsed

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp red pepper flakes, optional

Parsley, for garnish

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven to 425°.

Add the tomatoes, onions and garlic to a medium baking dish. Arrange in an even single layer and coat with a tablespoon of olive oil and a quarter teaspoon of salt. Roast in the oven until the tomato skins begin to brown and burst, and the onion and garlic are soft, about 15 minutes.

Remove the baking dish from the oven and puree the tomatoes, onions and garlic with all of their juices, and the chicken stock in a food processor or high-powered blender until completely smooth.

Pat the shrimp dry and season on both sides with salt. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the shrimp in an even layer and cook for one to two minutes on each side, or until the shrimp become pink and begin to brown, but are not yet fully opaque or cooked through. Remove them from the pan and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and deglaze the pan with white wine. Add in the tomato puree, olives, capers and Worcestershire sauce and red pepper flakes, if using. Simmer on low heat for about five minutes.

Add the shrimp with any of their juices back to the pan to finish cooking, about two minutes more. Season to taste.

Recipe notes: Unless otherwise indicated, all recipes are developed with Kerrygold salted butter and Diamond Kosher salt. If you prefer to use unsalted butter, adjust the seasoning to your taste. If you use table salt, decrease recommended quantities of salt by around half.