I grew up in Pensacola, FL which is famous for it’s sugar white sands, delicious seafood, and laid back attitude. Fresh fish is abundant and you can fish off the piers overlooking the Gulf of Mexico or (even better) you can buy delicious briny fish year round at Joe Patti’s Seafood.
Whenever I visit I bring along my Yeti cooler and fill it up with beautiful seasonal delicacies from the sea. Even if you don’t like seafood you should visit this market because there is nothing else like it! On my last trip I bought a bunch of beautiful fresh Gulf shrimp and put it to use in this simple dinner using ingredients I had in my pantry and fridge.
Shrimp with Lemon and Pasta
24 peeled and deveined shrimp, tails on
2 strips of bacon
¼ cup of finely diced onion
2 tablespoons of finely minced fresh garlic
2 lemons, 1 juiced, 1 sliced into quarters
¼ cup of finely sliced red bell pepper
1 cup of dry white wine
1 tablespoon of butter
¼ cup of drained capers (optional)
Fresh chopped parsley (you can use dried)
Olive oil, as needed
1 pound of cooked spaghetti noodles
Cook the spaghetti according to package directions, drain, set aside.
Fry the bacon in a medium/large skillet until crisp, remove from the pan, crumble up for topping the dish at the end.
To the same skillet, add the onions and bell peppers. Cook until tender, then push to the sides of the skillet and add the shrimp. Add a smidge more olive oil, if needed.
Cook the shrimp, stirring occasionally, until they are all pink and almost cooked through.
Add the wine, capers, and the lemon juice and cook just a few minutes until the dish is hot and bubbly. Add the butter and stir to combine.
Add the cooked spaghetti noodles to the skillet, stir to combine.
Top with the crumbled bacon and parsley serve with lemon wedges.
Fresh seafood is abundant at Joe Patti’s and you can watch the fishermen/women delivering their harvest right to the doors of the market seven days a week. They also sell seafood gumbo, lobster bisque, a wide variety of breads and crackers, and condiments. If you don’t have a cooler they will pack your seafood in one of their coolers for a small fee.
Joe Patti’s Seafood | 524 South ‘B’ Street Pensacola, FL 32502 | joepattis.com
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