Equipment
Ingredients
Seafood
- 450 g large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
Sauce Base
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic, minced
- 2 g red pepper flakes
- 800 g canned crushed tomatoes
Flavor Enhancers
- 150 g roasted red peppers, drained and thinly sliced
- 30 g capers, drained but not rinsed
- 5 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 10 g fresh basil, torn
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 252 kcal
- Protein
- 27 g
- Carbohydrates
- 20 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 9 g
- Sodium
- 1721 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 181 mg
- Potassium
- 1034 mg
- Calcium
- 179 mg
- Iron
- 4.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 90 mg
- Phosphorus
- 321 mg
- Zinc
- 2.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 61 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 40 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 18 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.03 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.03 mg
- Niacin
- 0.3 mg
- Folate
- 10 mcg
- Water
- 134 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Mince the garlic and slice the roasted red peppers into thin strips on a cutting board using a chef's knife.
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes, sauteing until deeply fragrant but not browned.
Pour the crushed tomatoes into the skillet. Use a wooden spoon to mix the tomatoes thoroughly with the garlic and oil.
Stir the sliced roasted red peppers, capers, kosher salt, and black pepper into the tomato mixture.
Bring the sauce to a low simmer. Let it cook uncovered, allowing the tomatoes to reduce slightly and the flavors to concentrate.
Pat the shrimp completely dry with paper towels, then nestle them evenly into the simmering tomato sauce in a single layer.
Simmer the shrimp gently in the sauce until they turn completely opaque and curl into a C-shape, reaching an internal temperature of 63 degrees Celsius or 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the skillet from the heat immediately. Garnish by scattering the torn fresh basil leaves evenly over the top, and serve warm directly from the skillet.
Chef's Notes
- Always pat your shrimp completely dry before adding them to the sauce. Excess moisture on the surface of the seafood will thin out your beautifully reduced tomato base.
- For the best texture, purchase raw shell-on shrimp and peel them yourself. Pre-peeled shrimp are often treated with sodium tripolyphosphate which can give them an unnatural, bouncy chew.
- Adjust the red pepper flakes according to your heat tolerance. The traditional purgatory style is meant to be quite spicy, but a milder sauce will still beautifully complement the briny capers.
- Do not rinse the capers if you want maximum briny impact. The residual brine acts as a crucial background seasoning component for the rich, robust tomato sauce.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. Reheat very gently on the stovetop to avoid overcooking the shrimp.
Troubleshooting
Shrimp are tough and rubbery
Cause: The shrimp were boiled too vigorously or left in the hot sauce too long
Fix: Cannot be fixed once overcooked
Prevention: Maintain a very gentle simmer and remove the skillet from heat the exact moment the shrimp turn pink and opaque
Tomato sauce is too watery or thin
Cause: The sauce was not reduced enough before adding the shrimp, or the shrimp were added wet
Fix: Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon, turn up the heat to rapidly reduce the sauce, then return shrimp just before serving
Prevention: Ensure the sauce simmers for a full 10 minutes to evaporate excess liquid, and thoroughly pat shrimp dry
Cultural Context
This recipe reimagines the classic Neapolitan dish Uova in Purgatorio, where eggs are gently poached in a fiery tomato sauce symbolizing souls seeking purification. By substituting shrimp for eggs, the dish retains the bold, rustic essence of Southern Italy while celebrating its abundant coastal seafood traditions. The addition of capers and roasted peppers provides a distinctly Mediterranean balance of sweet, acidic, and briny notes.
