How to Start the Sauce for Linguine

Linguine is that pasta with the long, thick shape that makes it perfect for serving with shellfish (like shrimp). Sauces for linguine can vary depending on the recipe, but a nice garlic and shallot sauce compliments shrimp and linguine perfectly.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Gather ingredients for your sauce. Prep all the ingredients ahead of time so that they're ready to be added to the sauce when you need them. This will eliminate the risk of overcooking the sauce.
2. Crush the garlic to loosen the outer skins. Hold a wide kitchen knife on its side over the garlic on a cutting board. Hit the flat side of the knife with the heel of your hand, smashing the garlic.
3. Peel all the skins off each garlic clove. If the clove is crushed well, you should be able to squeeze the clove gently to pop the clove out of the skin. Inspect the clove to make sure you've removed all the skins. Dice each clove after you've trimmed the ends.
4. Cut both ends off the shallot and remove the skins. Start at one side of the shallot and work your way around. Peel the skins as you go until you've removed the entire shallot skin.
5. Chop the shallot fine so that it will infuse all of its flavor into the linguine sauce without making the sauce chunky. The shallot is a more subtle member of the onion family, so if you can't find them in your local grocery store, substitute half a medium-sized onion for a similar flavor.