Ingredients
2 dried ancho or pasilla chiles
3 tbsp olive oil
6 oz dried vermicelli broken in thirds.
1/2 tsp each anise seeds and cumin seeds.
1 medium onion, chopped
1 qt reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 lb peeled, deveined shrimp
Kosher salt
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
Diced avocado (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Preparation
Break stems off chiles and shake out seeds. In a small bowl, cover chiles with hot water and let stand until sotened, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain and coarsely chop.
Meanwhile, pour olive oil into a 12-in nonstick frying pan over medium-low heat. Add pasta, stir and turn often with tongs until almost golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Stire in anise and cumin seeds, onionand garlic. Lift pasta so it mostly sits on top of onion mixture, then cook onion mixture, stirring often, until softeneed, 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir in chiles and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer, 3 minutes; add shrimp and simmer until pasta is tender to the bite, 3 to 4 minutes more. Season to taste with salt.
Spoon into wide, shallow bowls. Top each serving with a spponful of sour cream and some avocado, if you like, and sprinkle with cilantro.
