Shito Shrimp Pasta
Requested so many times it earned its own post. Fast, spicy, and mostly pantry.
- Prep time
- 8 min
- Cook time
- 12 min
- Total time
- 20 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice level
- Spicy
Ingredients
- 12 oz spaghetti
- 1 lb shrimp, peeled
- 3 tbsp Shito
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 lemon
- Parsley, to finish
Why This Works
Shito is already a chili oil, so it coats pasta the way a good aglio e olio does, and lemon lifts the finish.
Step-by-step directions
- 1
Boil the pasta and save 1 cup of the starchy cooking water.
- 2
Sizzle garlic in Shito for 30 seconds, then add shrimp and cook 2 minutes per side.
- 3
Add pasta plus a splash of cooking water and toss until the sauce clings.
- 4
Finish with lemon zest, juice and parsley.
Tips
- Pasta water is the sauce. Do not pour it all away.
Substitutions
- Swap shrimp for white beans or mushrooms.
Suggested side
- Green salad
- Garlic bread
Storage
Best fresh; refrigerate up to 2 days.
Reheating
Reheat in a pan with a splash of water.
Ingredients you may not know yet
Shito
A spicy Ghanaian pepper sauce.
- Tastes like
- Smoky, savory and hot, with dried fish or shrimp depth.
- How Esi uses it
- As a glaze base, stirred into oil for pasta, or spooned beside rice.
- Substitute
- Sambal or harissa plus a pinch of smoked paprika.
- Where to find it
- African grocers, or online in jars.
More from the table
- Shito Honey Wings
Crispy oven wings tossed in a sticky glaze of Shito and honey, finished with lime.
- Jollof Street Tacos
Smoky Jollof rice and grilled chicken folded into warm corn tortillas with pickled onion.
- Kelewele Mac & Cheese
Creamy skillet mac topped with spiced plantain cubes for sweet-heat crunch.