Recipe: Michael Anthony’s Lemon Spaghetti with Shrimp & Fried Capers

Michael Anthony’s Cucina Italiana prepared some amazing hors d’oeuvres at Bubbles, Brews & Blues. As a keepsake of the night, they provided each guest with one of their recipes, Lemon Spaghetti with Shrimp and Fried Capers. Sounds like the perfect summer dish to us – yum!

Lemon Spaghetti with Shrimp and Fried Capers

Ingredients
Grapeseed oil, for frying
¼ cup capers, rinsed, drained and patted dry
1 lb spaghetti
2/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
½ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 3 lemons)
1 lb large shrimp, shelled and deveined
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup chopped basil

Preparation
To fry the capers, heat ¼ inch of grapeseed or vegetable oil in a skillet until hot. Add the capers and fry over medium high heat, stirring, until browned and crisp (about 3 minutes). Use a slotted spoon to remove and place on a paper towel to drain.

In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the spaghetti until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.

In a medium bowl, whisk 2/3 cup of olive oil with the grated cheese, lemon zest and lemon juice. Set aside.

In the large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and add to pan. Sauté over medium high heat, turning once, until opaque, about 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the pasta, lemon sauce and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water and the chopped basil. Cook, tossing until the pasta and shrimp are coated (if the pasta is too dry, add a little more of the pasta water). Garnish with the fried capers and serve.

Enjoy!