Coconut capellini
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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