Give pasta a tropical twist, and then some
Dear SOS: My wife and I recently dined at our favorite Santa Barbara restaurant, Aja, on State Street. Can you obtain the recipe for the wonderful coconut capellini dish?
Kevin Carr
Long Beach
Dear Kevin: The restaurant offers this as a vegetable pasta dish, but take a cue from the menu variations: Try it with chicken or shrimp. We tested it with shrimp, which we thought went great with the sauce. The option is yours.
*
Coconut capellini
Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Servings: 6
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger root
1 teaspoon dried red
pepper flakes
2 (14-ounce) cans coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 tablespoon brown sugar, or
to taste
Salt, pepper
1 1/2 large carrots, peeled and
thinly sliced
2 red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
1 small head broccoli, cut into small pieces
3/4 pound capellini
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds peeled and
deveined shrimp
Chopped cilantro or green onions, for garnish
1. Heat the olive oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the coconut milk and turmeric, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the mixture thickens slightly and has the consistency of half-and-half, about 30 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Meanwhile, fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the carrots and blanch 2 minutes. Remove to a bowl of ice water. Add the bell peppers to the boiling water and blanch 2 minutes, then remove to the bowl of ice water; do the same for the broccoli. Drain the vegetables and set aside.
3. Bring another saucepan full of water to boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 2 minutes. Drain and keep warm.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until it turns opaque, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the reserved vegetables and cook until heated through. Add the finished sauce and cook until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Add the pasta and toss to coat. Serve garnished with the cilantro or green onions.
Each serving: 710 calories; 204 mg. sodium; 172 mg. cholesterol; 40 grams fat; 27 grams saturated fat; 56 grams carbohydrates; 34 grams protein; 5.1 grams fiber.
More to Read
Eat your way across L.A.
Get our weekly Tasting Notes newsletter for reviews, news and more.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.