Pasta al Limone With Shrimp & Crunchy Breadcrumbs

Préparation

Pasta al limone is known famously for its mouth-puckering tart sauce that is usually tempered with heavy cream. This version gets its creaminess from a combination of butter and starchy pasta water. Choose how sharp you want the sauce by adding more or less butter. Anchovy-flecked panko breadcrumbs add a crispy bite to the indulgent dish. P.S. To get an extra-silky sauce, you’ll boil the pasta in less water than most recipes call for—fear not: the higher starch content leads to a divinely silky sauce. 

*This recipe originally ran stateside on HexClad.com.

1. Fill a HexClad 8QT/7.5 L Hybrid Stock Pot half-way full with salted water, about 4 quarts/3.8 L, cover and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, according to box directions. Drain, reserving 1½ cups/360 ml pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, in a HexClad 4.5QT/4.3 L Hybrid Deep Sauté Pan, warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat until it lightly shimmers. Add anchovies and cook, stirring constantly, until they start to break down, 2 to 3 minutes. Add breadcrumbs and cook, stirring constantly, until toasted and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and stir in 2 teaspoons of lemon zest and scallions. Season with additional salt, if needed, and set aside. 
3. Wipe out the pan and warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil between medium and medium-high heat. Season shrimp liberally with salt. Add half of the shrimp to the pan and cook until lightly browned and opaque on the first side, about 1 minute. Flip the shrimp over and cook until opaque on the second side until completely cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large plate. Add 1 additional tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and cook the remaining shrimp; transfer to the plate. Remove the pan from the heat; reserve. 
4. Meanwhile, return the pan to medium heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring constantly, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining lemon zest, lemon juice, and ⅓ cup/80 ml of pasta water (scoop it directly from the pot the pasta is cooking in) and bring it to a bare simmer (lowering the heat if needed). Add butter, a couple cubes at a time, stirring constantly, to make a creamy sauce. 
5. Stir 1 cup/240 ml of reserved pasta water into the sauce. Sprinkle half of the Parmesan over the pasta along with a big splash of pasta water then stir vigorously to combine. Repeat with the remaining cheese and another splash of pasta water. Once all of the cheese has been added, continue to cook until the pasta is al dente, stirring in additional pasta water to loosen the sauce, if needed, about 2 minutes. Season with more salt, if needed, then transfer to serving bowls. Top with the shrimp and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and more Parmesan.