Shrimp and chard diavolo pasta

Succulent shrimp in a spicy tomato sauce, all easily prepared on a 2 burner camp stove.

This is an almost one pot meal with a 30-40 minute preparation time, and easy clean up.

We begin by making a quick shrimp stock by simmering the shells from the shrimp in a small stockpot while you prep the rest of the sauce in a larger saucepan, all done on a 2 burner camp stove. We save time, water, and propane by cooking the pasta directly in the sauce, rather than a separate pot of boiling water. The intent is to make a spicy tomato sauce with Calabrian peppers, but you can substitute jalapeños, or really any spicy pepper, if Calabrian peppers are not available. If water is readily available at your campsite, you can wash your chard onsite, but we usually prep it at home, separating the stems from the leaves, and washing and drying the leaves in the salad spinner, then placing them in a reusable silicone bag. You can use any type of pasta you like, just be aware it will most likely take longer than the recommended cook time. Our bucatini did not quite fit in the pan, so we broke it in half, and it took roughly 5 minutes longer than it would have in just boiling water, which is still less time than it would have taken to boil a separate pot of water.

Ingredients ( 2 servings)

1/2 pound uncooked, shell on shrimp

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 onion, minced

1 bunch chard, stems and leaves separated and washed

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped, or 2 TB Calabrian peppers ( see note above)

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 14.5 oz can roasted tomatoes

1/3 pound pasta

3 tablespoons chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

Directions

1. Peel and devein shrimp, placing shells in small stockpot. Set aside shrimp for now.
2. Add 1 tsp oil to stockpot with shrimp shells ,a pinch of kosher salt, and saute over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until shells start to color. Add 4 cups water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a strong simmer while you go about the rest of the prep.
3. Add the 1/2 onion, minced, whichever peppers you are using, along with the chard stems, also minced ,to a large saucepan with the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil, and sauté until translucent, 4-5 minutes.
4. Add minced garlic , 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp oregano, and red pepper flakes, and saute an additional 2-3 minutes.
5. Add 2 tablespoons tomato paste to pan, and stir to incorporate, then add the can of roasted tomatoes. Roughly chop the chard leaves while you bring your sauce to a boil, and then add the chard, stirring constantly until the chard has wilted.
6. Remove the small stockpot with shrimp shells from the heat, and remove the shells. You have just made shrimp stock.
7. Add your shrimp stock to the sauce, stir to incorporate, bring to a boil, and add your pasta. You will probably need to cook the pasta a bit longer than the directions say. I used bucatini, which had a listed cook time of nine minutes, and I cooked it closer to 12-14 minutes.
8. Maintain a strong simmer, stirring occasionally. When the pasta is almost done ( you will have to taste it), add the shrimp, and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the shrimp is opaque.
9. Garnish with chopped Italian flat leaf parsley, and serve.