Culottes on Fire: Shrimp with Capellini

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil
2. In a skillet over medium high heat (don’t use nonstick for this) heat up enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan and add the chopped shallot. Cook until it just begins to color
3. Add the shrimp, turn once as they change color
4. Add the pre-measured pastis to the pan (DON’T pour it straight from the bottle). You can ignite it by tipping the edge of the pan toward the flame (this doesn’t work with an electric cooktop) or you can use a kitchen torch. As a last resort light a match, but you really don’t want a burnt match head in your dish. Reduce flame to low
5. At this point you can start the pasta. Capellini cooks fairly quickly
6. Add the radicchio and basil to the shrimp and stir. Season with pepper and salt
7. When the pasta is al dente, drain and turn it into the pan with the shrimp
8. Finish with lemon juice and sea salt to taste.