Shrimp and chickpea trifolati

Shrimp and Chickpea Trifolati

SERVES 4 TO 6

Trifolati refers to the classic Italian method of sautéing with garlic, parsley, and olive oil. My love for the flavor-packed simplicity of trifolati runs deep. There’s a version with mushrooms in Salt to Taste, but I love it applied to shrimp and chickpeas for a fast, protein-loaded meal. You can get a ton of mileage out of this recipe: It works great with onions, carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, scallops, and thin pieces of beef or chicken. The key to trifolati is finely chopping the parsley, garlic, and lemon zest together on the cutting board until they become one. The resulting mixture is so much greater than the sum of its parts.

There are a few variations on the basic trifolati mixture that are worth trying. In step 2, try adding red pepper flakes or minced peperoncini along with the parsley and garlic.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (21/25) shrimp, peeled and deveined (leave the tails on)
  • 1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 2 large garlic cloves
  • Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon, plus a squeeze more for serving
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

  • 2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

  • Rinse the shrimp and pat dry with paper towels.

  • Ball the parsley in your fist and press it onto a cutting board. Run your knife several times through the ball to roughly chop the leaves. Cut the garlic cloves in half across the equator, smash each half with the flat side of your knife, and roughly chop them. Put the garlic and lemon zest on top of the pile of parsley and finely chop them together. The mixture should yield about 1⁄2 cup of trifolati.
  • In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat. Once wisps of smoke come off the pan, add the shrimp in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper, and cook without touching the shrimp for 2 minutes. Add the trifolati and toss to coat the shrimp. Add the chickpeas and lemon juice and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 3 minutes more, allowing the flavors to combine and everything to become evenly coated with the trifolati. Pour into a serving bowl and top with a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil.