Weeknight Pasta Recipe with Jacques Pépin

Recipe: Weeknight Pasta — Jacques Pépin

Presenter

Jacques Pépin

Ingredients

• Pasta — 1/2 pound
• Salted water (for boiling)
• Shrimp — 1/2 pound, coarsely diced
• Scallions (green onions) — about 1/2 cup, sliced
• Garlic — ~2 cloves (about 1–1½ tsp minced)
• Corn — 1/2 cup
• Onion — ~1/2 cup (you may not need all of it)
• Zucchini — about 2 cups, sliced (roughly 1/2” slices)
• Olive oil — a couple tablespoons (≈ 2 Tbsp), plus extra to finish if desired
• Butter — 2 tablespoons
• Reserved pasta cooking liquid — about 1/2 cup
• Grated cheese — about 1/4 cup (plus more for serving)
• Salt and pepper — to taste
• Salad dressing for serving (optional) — vinegar (~1 tsp) and olive oil (about 1½ Tbsp)

Equipment & Preparation Notes

• Large pot for boiling pasta
• Microwave oven (used to cook the shrimp/vegetable mixture, covered)
• Strainer/colander for draining pasta
• Mixing/tossing bowl or the pasta pot for finishing
• Grater for cheese
• Prepare and dice shrimp and vegetables ahead of time

Method

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Cook 1/2 lb pasta in the salted water for 10–12 minutes (Jacques checks at 11 minutes; he prefers slightly more than al dente). Adjust timing to taste.
3. While the pasta cooks, combine shrimp, scallions, garlic, corn, onion and zucchini in a bowl or shallow dish. Add ~2 Tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
4. Cover the shrimp/vegetable mixture and microwave it while the pasta finishes cooking. (No exact microwave time given—cook until shrimp/vegetables are done while pasta finishes.)
5. When pasta is done, drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
6. Return the pasta to the pot (or into a mixing bowl). Add 2 Tbsp butter and the reserved cooking liquid (~1/2 cup). Add the cooked shrimp/vegetable mixture and about 1/4 cup grated cheese.
7. Toss and let sit a couple of minutes so the pasta absorbs some of the liquid. Taste and adjust salt and pepper; add a dash more olive oil if desired.
8. Serve immediately.

Technique Cues & Timings

• Pasta: 10–12 minutes (Jacques prefers slightly beyond al dente so there is no uncooked white center).
• Microwaving: vegetables and shrimp are covered and microwaved while pasta cooks (exact time not specified).
• Finishing: toss with butter, reserved pasta water and cheese; rest a couple of minutes to absorb liquid.

Chef Tips & Notes (from Jacques)

“Al dente” often leaves a white uncooked dot in the pasta center; Jacques prefers to cook a bit beyond that — personal taste.

• Reserve some pasta cooking water (~1/2 cup) to loosen and finish the sauce.
• Let the assembled pasta rest a couple of minutes so the water is absorbed and flavors meld.
• A dash more olive oil at the end “never hurts.”
• Add cheese toward the end, not at the start.
• For a simple accompanying salad: at the table use salt, pepper and a small splash of vinegar (no more than ~1 tsp) and ~1½ Tbsp olive oil; he usually does not toss the salad until he eats it.

Common Variations / Alternatives

• Vegetables: change according to what’s in your refrigerator — the vegetable selection is flexible.
• Salad dressing: sometimes he just uses salt, pepper and a small amount of vinegar instead of a vinaigrette.

Plating & Serving Suggestions

• Serve the pasta with a simple salad (his preferred weeknight dinner).
• Finish with extra cracked pepper and more grated cheese if desired.

Source

Presented by Jacques Pépin (from the provided subtitles)