Pappardelle Alla Martina Better than Stanley Tucci
Pappardelle alla Martina (or pasta alla martina) is a light and flavorful dish with thick pappardelle pasta and sauteed fresh shrimp, vegetables, basil, and white wine.
This dish became a viral sensation thanks to actor Stanley Tucci, who has a strong passion for Italy and Italian food that could rival Vincenzo! The only problem is that when Stanley made his version, he mentioned the ingredients and not the recipe! “Mamma mia!”
Vincenzo has taken these simple ingredients and interpreted the dish his way to show you how easy it is to transform just a few items into a scrumptious meal.
Watch the Pappardelle alla Martina video recipe:
Pappardelle alla Martina: Did I make this better than Stanley Tucci?
Vincenzo’s Plate Tips
Get the Juice Out of Your Tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes are full of juice, so it’s important to use every ounce of it. When selecting the tomatoes to use, make sure the texture is perfect and try to choose those a little more ripe so they create a juicy base loaded with flavour. As you sauté the tomatoes in this dish, use your wooden spoon to put some light pressure on the tomatoes to test them.
Once they start to feel softer with just a little bit of firmness left, you’ll know they’re ready.
Use Water to stop everything drying out and burning
As the garlic and tomatoes are simmering, add a little water to your pan. This will keep the garlic from burning as you cook the rest of your vegetables, and it will help to expel the water from your tomatoes too.
Don’t Add Basil Too Soon
You don’t want to cook your basil! When you cook delicate herbs like basil for too long, the aromas and flavor are destroyed. Be sure to wait until the very end to add your basil for the best result and taste!
No Cheese on This Pasta!
Traditionally, we don’t garnish our seafood dishes with cheese — even pasta dishes. The flavors and textures just aren’t compatible. Cheese will often overpower the delicate flavors of vegetables and seafood, so it’s best to avoid it.
If you’re looking for a little something extra, you can feel free to add some pan-toasted breadcrumbs to the dish, or maybe even some cracked pepper.
How to Serve Pappardelle Alla Martina
Pappardelle alla Martina is easy to serve as all the ingredients are tossed together in the end. All you have to do is take your kitchen tongs and put as much as you want on the plate. Then, top the dish off with a basil leaf to garnish and a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. But please, don’t add cheese!
Pappardelle Alla Martina
Print Recipe
Equipment
- knife
- Chopping-board
- large pot
- wooden spoon
- Colander
- Large fry pan
- Garlic crusher (optional)
- Set of tongs
Ingredients
- 250 g Pappardelle pasta, 9 oz
- 250 g Fresh shrimps, 9 oz. or prawns
- 250 g Cherry tomatoes, 9 oz. cut in half
- 240 g Peas, 1 cup
- 1 bunch asparagus, approx 6 stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Fresh basil, small handful
- 3-4 Tbsp White wine of choice
- Extra virgin olive oil, EVOO
- Salt and pepper, as much as required
- 1 lemon, halved
Instructions
For the vegetables and shrimps:
- Start by bringing the chopped asparagus and peas to boil in a medium sized pot for about 5 minutes, or until tender and vibrant green. Then, scoop them out with a mesh strainer and set them aside in a bowl.
- Now, place your pan on the stove at a medium heat and add approx 5 Tbsp of EVOO to the pan.
- Once this is heated, add the crushed garlic and sliced cherry tomatoes. Cook for about 4 minutes or until the cherry tomatoes start to soften. Add a few splashes (about 1-2 Tbsp) of water to keep the garlic from burning.
- After 5 minutes, add the shrimp (or prawns), 3-4 Tbsp wine and the cooked peas and asparagus to the pan.
- Cook for 3 minutes or until the shrimp is ready.
- While everything is sauteing, add a generous amount of salt and pepper — remember don’t add the basil yet!
- Once everything is cooked, remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
- Squeeze the lemon into the pan just before it’s time to add the pasta.
For the pasta:
- Bring the water in your large pot to a boil and add 1 Tbsp of salt.
- Add the pasta and cook for about 10 minutes (or the time noted on the packet instructions).
- Before it is time to strain the pasta, collect half a ug of pasta water and set aside.
Bringing it all together:
- Add the pasta to your pan with the rest of the ingredients and toss.
- Then, add the pasta water and toss once more.
- Once the water has helped to create a creamy sauce, break the basil apart from the stems leaving the leaves intact, and add them to the pan. Gently combine.
- Once all of the ingredients have blended, serve some of your pappardelle alla Martina onto a plate and spoon a nice amount of the sauce over it. Finish it off with a nice basil leaf on top and drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil on top.
Video
E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate (courtesy of Stanley Tucci)….Enjoy!
If you’re here, I’m quite sure you’re curious to know other recipes for seasoning this delicious pasta shape: pappardelle. Here you can find two recipes that are right for you!
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