Pasta Chimayo-Cafe Pierre

Pasta Chimayo is the Southwestern-Italian fusion plate that puts ancho chiles and tequila-flamed shrimp at the center of a creamy pasta dish. Dried ancho chiles get rehydrated in boiling water and pureed with garlic, oregano, and rice vinegar into a smoky chile paste that stains the cream sauce a deep orange-red.

The drama is the flambé step. After the shrimp sears in butter, a splash of tequila gets ignited (use a long match and stand back) and the alcohol burns off, leaving behind concentrated agave flavor and that smoky depth you can’t get any other way.

Heavy cream reduces in the same skillet to a luxurious consistency, the chile paste stirs in to bloom the flavors, and the shrimp gets folded back to warm through. Toss with penne, garnish with fresh cilantro, and you have something genuinely worth slowing down for.

Chef Tips

• Stem and seed the ancho chiles thoroughly before soaking. The seeds add bitter heat instead of the smoky-sweet ancho character you want.
• Make the chile paste a day ahead if you can. The flavors meld and deepen overnight in the fridge, giving you a more complex sauce.
• Be careful with the flambé step. Remove the skillet from heat before adding tequila, then ignite. Adding alcohol to a hot pan with an open flame is how kitchen fires start.
• Cook the pasta one minute shy of al dente. It finishes cooking in the warm sauce and absorbs the flavors instead of staying neutral.

Variations

• Sub bay scallops or chunks of chicken for the shrimp.
• Use chipotle chiles in adobo (a couple of tablespoons) in place of dried anchos for a smokier, more aggressive version.
• Stir in a half cup of grated cotija or aged Manchego cheese at the end for a creamier, saltier finish.