Chipotle fideo with shrimp! if you enjoy shrimp, pasta and a little spicy, you’re winning!
Working Vacations!
While visiting my family in Texas exactly a year ago, the blogging continues. This means the cooking and recipe developing continues. Sometimes it’s spontaneous, like this recipe for chipotle fideo with shrimp. My sister-in-law, Janet, stocks her kitchen well and this makes for delicious spontaneous meals. Some of the best recipes that I have developed come from no planning ahead.
While In Texas….
While visiting Texas, or any place states or cities I visit, I am inspired by popular food ingredients. In this case it was that yellow box of fideo, vermicelli famous in Texas. I remember mom using it while we lived in Texas.
No Fancy Cookware Needed!
Like me, my sister-in-law, enjoys cooking with vintage cookware. There is just something so satisfying on plucking these rare pieces from antique malls or thrift shops and bringing them back to life! The pieces are tried and true and will last a lifetime when used correctly.
Let’s Get To The Recipe!
For me, pasta and seafood just go hand in hand! And if there’s going to be a red sauce, it has to have a bit of spice. And not just spice from chile peppers, but spices like cumin, fresh cracked pepper and oregano. In the original recipe, I used a Mexican molcajete to grind whole cumin seeds with whole peppercorns before grinding in the fresh garlic and chipotles. If you have a molcajete, I would encourage you to try it. To make it easier, I wrote the recipe so you can use the blender. I wanted to share the collage of photos of how I used the molcajete below.
A Molcajete Is Essential!
Grinding whole spices using a molcajete changed my life! The flavor that is released during the grinding process is amazing. If you take the time and lightly toast the spices in a dry skillet then grind, even better. I have a coffee grinder that I use only for spices, but not convenient for small amounts or for wet ingredients. It just takes a little elbow grease when using the molcajete.
I Can’t Find Fideo!
Nowadays, most stores carry some form of fideo in different brands. In a pinch you can use broken angel hair pasta. Looks very similar to fideo.
Chipotle Fideo With Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 large roma tomato roughly chopped
- 2 large chipotle in adobo
- 4 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 2 lemons slice one into thing rings and reserve, juice the other one
- Salt to taste
- 3- 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tbsp avocado or olive oil
- 1 cup onion diced
- 1 dried guajillo sliced into thin rings, optional
- 5 oz box of vermicelli pasta or your favorite brand of fideo
- Pinch of crushed oregano
- 16 jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined
Instructions
- To the blender, add the roughly chopped tomato, chipotles, 4 cloves of garlic, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp black pepper, juice of 1 lemon and salt to taste. Blend on high until smooth. Set aside.
- On the back burner, add the chicken broth and keep it warm on low heat.
- In a deep skillet, preheat 2 tablespoons of oil at medium heat for one minute.
- To the skillet, add the onions and guajillo pepper. Saute for 3 minutes.
- Add the box of vermicelli pasta. Toast and fry the pasta for 3-4 minutes.
- To the skillet, add the blended tomato/chipotle puree. Stir well to combine and cook for 3 minutes.
- To the skillet, pour in 1 cup of warm chicken broth. Gently stir to combine. Let the broth cook down 3/4 of the way before adding 1 more cup of warm broth. Repeat and let it cook down.
- Add the 3rd cup of broth to the skillet. Stir gently. Add the uncooked shrimp and nestle it down into the broth and pasta. Season lightly with salt and pepper. I like adding the broth this way so that I am using just enough to cook the pasta all the way. If I add too much broth, the pasta will just keep absorbing it and it might get mushy.
- Sprinkle on crushed oregano. Cover the top with thin lemon slices. Reduce heat slightly, cover and continue cooking until it thickens and shrimp is completely cooked through. Check after 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat. Fluff with fork after 5 more minutes. Serve right away.
Notes
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My family having a brunch next Saturday.
Thinking about Chile be good deal stuffed chili rellenos. Do you have any recipes for this?
Hi Celia, I have recipes for chiles rellenos on my site, yes. I have several recipes. Just type chile relleno into the search bar.
I just made the chipotle fideo shrimp and it was delicious. I’m glad I found this site. Instructions were easy to follow. Thank you 😊
Hi Ana! I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe. I appreciate you feedback!!
I have seen this yellow box of pasta in stores all my life and never paid attention to what it was.
It’s now on my pantry shelf and this chipotle fideo with shrimp is delicious, as usual. My daughter is now experiencing the wonders of your website. Thank you.
That’s awesome Robert! Mom used to purchase that fideo when we lived in Houston. Any time I visit my family in Texas, I look for it.