Korean-Spiced Scampi with Gluten Free Pasta
Think you know scampi? Think again. I kept the garlic (obviously), but swapped the predictable for the provocative. By adding gochujang (Korean fermented chili paste) I’ve introduced a depth of flavor that catches you by surprise. It starts off as the comforting classic you love, but by the second forkful, a complex, warming heat takes over. Korean-Spiced Scampi with Gluten Free Pasta is anything but standard.
Ingredients
Organize the ingredients – gluten free spaghetti, shrimp, butter, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, gochujang, white wine, lemon, and cilantro.
Cooking the Gluten Free Pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add two healthy pinches of kosher salt to the pot. Add the gf spaghetti, give a stir with tongs and cook according to package directions. We’re looking for “al dente” pasta which means “cooking till firm” and is usually 1 minute less than package directions indicate. This allows the pasta to stay firm when it goes back in the pan to cook with the sauce. Drain pasta and set aside.
Making the Base of the Scampi Sauce
While the pasta cooks, heat the butter and oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Before the butter has completely melted, add the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant but not browned. Next add the gochujang and stir until well combined. Add the white wine and reduce the heat to medium-low to allow the sauce to thicken slightly and get glossy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
Adding the Shrimp and Pasta
Add the shrimp to the sauce and cook for 2 minutes (until they begin to change color). Then flip the shrimp and cook for another 2 minutes. Total cook time is 4 minutes. (If using smaller shrimp the cook time will need to be reduced.) Once shrimp are cooked, add the lemon juice, spaghetti and cilantro into the pan and mix/toss the pasta with the shrimp and sauce until the pasta is fully coated with the sauce.
Korean-Spiced Scampi with Gluten Free Pasta
Serve immediately on a medium sized platter or in individual pasta bowls. Sprinkle with a bit more cilantro and a small pinch of kosher salt if desired.
Korean-Spiced Scampi with Gluten Free Pasta
Ingredients
- 9 oz gluten free spaghetti approximately 1/2 a bag, I love La Fabbrica della Pasta which I buy at a specialty Italian market. It's also available at Amazon but they charge twice as much as the Italian market.
- 1 lb shrimp U8-12 count peeled, cleaned and tail-on, if desired
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped or pressed
- 1 tablespoon gochujang * look for brands that use brown rice (gochujang is a Korean fermented chilli paste found at asian markets and/or online).
- ½ cup white wine (one that you would drink)
- juice of half a lemon
- 3 tablespoons cilantro or Thai basil rough chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add two healthy pinches of kosher salt to the pot. Add the gf spaghetti, give a stir with tongs and cook according to package directions. We’re looking for “al dente” pasta which means "cooking till firm" and is usually 1 minute less than package directions indicate. This allows the pasta to stay firm when it goes back in the pan to cook with the sauce. Drain pasta and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, heat the butter and oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Before the butter completely melts, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant but not browned.
- Next add the gochujang and stir until well combined with the butter and oil. Add the white wine and reduce the heat to medium-low to allow the sauce to thicken slightly and get nice and glossy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Then add the shrimp to the sauce and cook for 2 minutes (until shrimp begin to change color) and then flip the shrimp and cook for another 2 minutes. Total cook time is 4 minutes. (If using smaller shrimp the cook time will need to be reduced.) Once shrimp are cooked, add the lemon juice.
- Once the pasta is just al dente, transfer the spaghetti and cilantro into the pan and mix/toss the pasta with the shrimp and sauce until the spaghetti is fully coated in the sauce.
- Serve immediately on a medium-sized platter or in individual pasta bowls. Sprinkle with a bit more cilantro and a small pinch of kosher salt if desired.
Notes
Recipe from Marion’s Kitchen and slightly modified by me.
If you like this recipe, you may also like these other GFchow recipes. Crab Pasta with Spicy Lemon Oil, Scampi-Style Sautéed Mushrooms, and Crispy Korean Fried Chicken Nuggets.
GLUTEN FREE DISCLAIMER
The recipes you find here are considered by me to be gluten free. However, it is up to you to make sure the ingredients you use are gluten free. Whenever possible, I will list specific brands of ingredients that I use, but always be sure to check the labels yourself to verify the item is gluten free.
