This comfort-food pairing is photographer Deun Ivory’s order of choice whenever she’s home in Houston.

What pairs best with gluten-free shrimp spaghetti? Ask Deun Ivory and the answer is French fries. When the photographer isn’t using her camera to celebrate Black culture and beauty, she spends her time like a local in Houston. Whether she’s ordering a plate of shrimp pasta with a side of fries at Bellagreen restaurant or making her own version at home, the combination never misses. “It's such a warm and delicious meal that hits all the right spots,” Ivory tells Family Style.
Ingredients:
For shrimp pasta
- 1 pound shrimp shelled and deveined
- 8 ounces gluten-free spaghetti or linguine
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 pint of fresh roma tomatoes
- 1 shallot
- 1 tbsp chile paste or harissa
- 1 ¼ cups packed basil leaves
For French fries:
- 2 pounds of potatoes
- 2 tablespoons of white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 quart canola or vegetable oil
Instructions
For shrimp pasta:
- Peel shrimp and leave the tails on. Toss the shells into a pot and add 8 cups of water.
- Reduce heat to medium-high and use a knife to devein the shrimp.
- Once stock is reduced, strain the shrimp shells out of water.
- Add a pinch of salt to water, and begin boiling your gluten-free spaghetti or linguine.
- While pasta is cooking, place a skillet on medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add tomatoes to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently until tomatoes start to blister, then add garlic and shallot.
- Push tomatoes and garlic to the perimeter of the skillet and add the last tbsp of olive oil, then add shrimp. Cook until shrimp becomes pink and opaque.
- Drop the heat to low and add cooked pasta to the skillet with tomatoes and shrimp. Add ½ cup of shrimp stock to the skillet and either chile paste or harissa. Toss over medium-low heat, add more salt and chile as desired.
- Tear basil into pieces and toss into skillet.
- Top off with more basil and cheese of choice and serve!
For French fries:
- Peel potatoes and cut into strips approximately ¼- inch thick. Submerge cut potatoes into a bowl of water to prevent browning as you chop.
- Take cut fries out of water and place into a large pot with 2 quarts cold water, vinegar, and salt. Bring to a boil then immediately reduce heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Strain fries out of water and leave spread out on a tray to dry for 5 minutes.
- Place fries in a pot with oil and bring to a boil. Fry for approximately 5 minutes stirring and flipping fries occasionally.
- Once golden brown, strain fries out of oil and place on a tray lined with paper towels to cool and dry.
- Sprinkle on salt and enjoy!