Why This Recipe Works: To get everything we wanted in a shrimp and pasta recipe—al dente pasta and moist shrimp bound by a supple sauce infused with a deep garlic flavor—we cut the shrimp in thirds before marinating them in minced garlic. Then we cooked whole garlic cloves in our cooking oil, infusing it with garlic flavor, before adding the shrimp to the pan. To deglaze the pan, we liked the clean flavor of vermouth; bottled clam broth added complexity to the sauce. To get the sauce for our shrimp and pasta recipe to cling to the pasta, we simply stirred flour into the oil as a thickener just before adding the liquid and tossed in some cold butter to finish.

• 5 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 5 teaspoons), plus 4 medium cloves, smashed
• 1 pound large shrimp (21-25), peeled, deveined, each shrimp cut into 3 pieces
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Table salt
• 1 pound pasta in short, tubular shapes, such as fusilli, campanelle, or mezze rigatoni
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dry vermouth or white wine
• 3/4 cup clam juice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice plus 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• Ground black pepper

1. Toss 2 teaspoons minced garlic, shrimp, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Let shrimp marinate at room temperature 20 minutes.
2. Heat 4 smashed garlic cloves and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is light golden brown, 4 to 7 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and use slotted spoon to remove garlic from skillet; discard garlic. Set skillet aside.
3. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta. Cook until just al dente, then drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water, and transfer pasta back to Dutch oven.
4. While pasta cooks, return skillet with oil to medium heat; add shrimp with marinade to skillet in single layer. Cook shrimp, undisturbed, until oil starts to bubble gently, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir shrimp and continue to cook until almost cooked through, about 1 minute longer. Using slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to medium bowl. Add remaining 3 teaspoons minced garlic and pepper flakes to skillet and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute; stir in vermouth and cook for 1 minute. Add clam juice and parsley; cook until mixture starts to thicken, 1 to 2 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter and lemon juice. Add shrimp and sauce to pasta, adding reserved cooking water if sauce is too thick. Season with black pepper.
5. Serve, passing lemon wedges separately.

• Marinate the shrimp while you prepare the remaining ingredients.