The No-Waste Secret To Unforgettable Shrimp Pasta

Pasta is a dinnertime staple; it's easy, filling, and generally affordable to make. Plus, it comes together quickly, so it's perfect for those busy weeknights when you didn't plan ahead. Enjoying pasta at a restaurant is great, but making it at home lets you build the versatile dish however you want — even with a little seafood for extra flavor and protein. Shrimp is a perfect addition to pasta; it cooks quickly and offers a high-protein alternative to the usual grilled chicken, provided you avoid certain mistakes when cooking it.

Although cooking shrimp isn't the most fun task because of the peeling and deveining, its shells can play a big role in your pasta dish's flavor. A common mistake when cooking seafood like shrimp and lobster is throwing away their shells. Instead, use them to develop a stock for cooking pasta. It is the perfect way to infuse your dishes with additional flavor. 

To make shrimp stock, first cook the shrimp with their shells on. Try baking them, grilling them on the stove, or even just boiling them. Once they have cooled, remove the shells and place them in a large pot. Though this is recommended and not required, you can add a few other aromatics to the stock, such as bay leaves or thyme. And for additional flavor, try adding a little white wine. Then, fill the pot with water and let the mixture simmer — not boil — for about 30 minutes. The longer the stock sits, the more that flavor will develop.

When the stock is done, make sure you strain it. You don't want to cook the pasta in stock with the shells still in because small pieces could break off and end up in your dish. Once your pasta is ready to eat, you'll enjoy an extra depth of flavor from having cooked it in your homemade shrimp stock.

If you have any stock left over, you can store it in an airtight container or plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to four days, or freeze it for as long as six months. Or, try using it in other dishes.

Besides cooking your pasta, you can also use your shrimp stock as a base for homemade pasta sauce. Pair it with tomato paste, heavy cream, and fresh garlic for a creamy all-purpose tomato sauce with salty undertones. Add shrimp to the final dish to bring the flavors full circle.

We've established shrimp stock is great for pasta, but you can also use it as the base for seafood dishes. There are differences between dishes like bisques and chowders, but seafood stock is commonly used in both, so the shrimp stock is a perfect addition here. 

Try it in a seafood risotto (which is commonly cooked in chicken broth), in seafood paella, or even in étouffée, which is a seafood dish popular in Creole cuisine that's usually made with shellfish and rice. There are plenty of opportunities to make use of the shrimp's delicious flavors.