Last Chinese new year, my friends and I traveled to Cherating, Malaysia. When we arrived after an eight-hour drive, we immediately looked for something to eat. Our first meal by the beach was at Don't Tell Mama Beach Cafe. I ordered Seafood Aglio Olio and it was one of the best by far.
Today, I decided to try my own version for lunch. I only have Shrimp in the fridge so I call it Shrimp Aglio Olio. I used Fettuccine pasta because it was the only thing available in the pantry. This is such a quick and easy recipe that anyone can try at home.
The main ingredients are shrimp, garlic, olive oil, chili flakes and of course pasta. but I wanted to enhance the taste so I added paprika, black pepper, onion, butter, tomatoes and fresh parsley.
Start by boiling salted water for the pasta, once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the suggested cooking time or until al dente.
While waiting for the pasta to cook, start chopping the garlic, onion, tomato and parsley.
Then remove the head of the shrimp and devein it. But don't throw away the head because it's full of flavor.
Put olive oil in the pan, when the oil is hot saute the shrimp heads. Using your ladle, break the heads and press them to release their flavor, remove them after 3 minutes but make sure all the shrimp oil is left in the pan.
Then add butter and saute the onion, garlic and tomatoes. Season it with paprika, chili flakes and black pepper. Do not add salt because we will use pasta water later which is salty.
Lastly add the shrimps, when it turns orange, add the cooked pasta and a little pasta water to thicken the sauce. Season with salt when necessary. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Bon appetit!
Photos taken using my phone.