The Yummiest Pizza Sauce Twist: Don Pepino's Shrimp Cocktail
Who says pizza sauce is just for pizza? For the Don Pepino Pizzeria Blogger Recipe Challenge, I’m taking America’s favorite pizza sauce out of the oven and straight to the seafood bar!
Don Pepino’s vine-ripened New Jersey tomatoes, sweet garlic, and signature spices already have the rich depth needed for a fantastic sauce—so I transformed it into a vibrant, crunchy, citrusy cocktail sauce with a kick. By balancing the sweet tomato base with prepared horseradish, fresh lemon zest, snappy celery, scallions, and a pop of fresh cilantro, you get a sauce that’s infinitely more complex and delicious than anything out of a bottle.
To take it over the top, the jumbo shrimp are off-heat poached directly in a customized Don Pepino Pizza Sauce court bouillon infused with dry white wine, lemon, aromatics, and a splash of pizza sauce itself. The result? Juicy, snap-tender shrimp that carry that incredible flavor in every single bite. It’s fresh, creative, and guaranteed to be the star of your next party platter!
Transforming Don Pepino Pizza Sauce into Shrimp Cocktail Sauce
To transform the sweet, vinegary tomato base of Don Pepino’s Pizza Sauce into a lively, classic cocktail sauce, you'll need to balance its oregano seasoning with bright acid, sharp punch, and a touch of savory depth.
Prepared Horseradish:
Adds signature nasal heat as much as you like!
Fresh Lemon Juice & Zest:
Shrimp loves acid! Citrus juice cuts through the rich tomato solids and brightens seafood. Lime juice is tasty as well!
Diced Celery & Green Onion:
Provide crucial crunch and fresh herbal notes. Option: Vine-ripened cherry tomatoes bring a kiss of sweetness.
Worcestershire Sauce:
Adds essential umami and savory depth. Or get trendy with fish sauce!
Hot Sauce:
Gives a clean, vinegary kick, I like Asian hot sauce.
Fresh Garlic:
Adds a sharp, pungent bite. Please don’t use garlic from a jar!
Black Pepper & Pinch of Salt:
Sharpens all the flavors.
Don Pepino’s Shrimp Cocktail Deserves the Tasty Shrimp
In my opinion, buying pre-cooked grocery store shrimp is definitely a quick shortcut, but it often comes with trade-offs. Only buy store-bought cooked shrimp if it has been approved by your palate before. For example, when I am in a hurry Costco precooked shrimp in the refrigerated section is okay. My grocery store’s shrimp is almost always boiled at high temperatures, leaving the meat rubbery, watery, and lacking in flavor.
Poaching your own raw shrimp, in my Don Pepino’s Bouillon broth, allows you to infuse aromatics directly into the shrimp and immediately shock them in an ice bath so they hit peak succulence.
Buying Shrimp for Don Pepino’s Shrimp Cocktail
For classic shrimp cocktail, you want shrimp large enough to drape nicely over a glass rim. I used 16/20 count in my recipe.
The Size of Shrimp
Shrimp sizing is based on count per pound (e.g., U/12 means under 12 shrimp per pound).
Jumbo (16/20 count): The sweet spot. They offer substantial bite and eye-catching presentation while poaching quickly and evenly.
Extra Jumbo / Colossal (10/15 count): Ideal for high-end presentation or individual appetizer plating. Keep in mind they need an extra 30–60 seconds in the poaching liquid.
If you use shrimp 26/30 or smaller simply mix all the shrimp with the Don Pepino Shrimp Sauce in a bowl. Transfer 1/2 cup shrimp to a small lettuce boat and serve.
The Type of Shrimp
Wild-Caught White Shrimp (American/Gulf): The gold standard. Naturally sweet with a firm, snap-tender texture that holds its flavor when chilled.
Wild Pink Shrimp (Key West / Royal Red): Slightly sweeter and softer, with a vibrant pink color when cooked.
Argentinian Shrimp: I love the color and flavor of Argentinian Shrimp!
Alaskan Shrimp: In one of my cooking competitions I was making a shrimp dish. Before the cook-off I ordered shrimp from all over the world, cuz flavor an texture matter. In the end, Alaskan shrimp won my palate, and the judges too, due to the clean flavor.
Shell-On, Easy-Peel (Raw): Always buy raw, shell-on (or split-back "easy-peel") shrimp. Poaching with the shell on protects the delicate flesh from toughening and locks in natural sweetness.
Check Out These Links fo Find More Don Pepino Recipes
Shopping Tips for Shrimp Cocktail
Check the ingredients: Avoid shrimp treated with sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP). It causes shrimp to absorb excess water, turning them glassy and mushy when cooked.
Individually Quick Frozen (IQF): Unless you live near a fresh seafood market, IQF raw shrimp are usually higher quality than thawed "fresh" counter shrimp, which are often just previously frozen bags thawed days prior.
Don Pepino’s Shrimp Cocktail
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes (plus chilling)
Yield: 4 servings (1 lb shrimp & ~1½ cups sauce)
Ingredients:
For the Don Pepino Cocktail Sauce:
1 cup Don Pepino’s Pizza Sauce
2–3 tablespoon prepared horseradish (drained, adjust to taste)
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste
1 small garlic clove, finely grated or minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
Optional: 1 pound cooked (16/20 count), tail-on, deveined or poach uncooked shrimp
For the Don Pepino Poached Shrimp:
1 pound raw jumbo shrimp (16/20 count), shell-on or easy-peel
7 cups water
1 cup Don Pepino Pizza Sauce
1 cup Sauvignon Blanc wine or dry white wine
1 lemon, sliced
1 small onion, quartered
1/2 cup roughly chopped celery
1 head garlic, halved horizontally
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
For Serving:
Ice and cold water for the ice bath
Lemon wedges and fresh parsley for garnish
Cilantro leaves
Instructions
Make the Cocktail Sauce
In a glass bowl, whisk together the Don Pepino’s pizza sauce, prepared horseradish, ketchup, lemon juice, lemon zest, celery, green onions, cilantro, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, grated garlic, black pepper, and salt until smooth.
Taste and adjust the heat level with extra horseradish or hot sauce if desired. Check the acid balance by tasting and adding addition lemon juice, if needed. Cover and refrigerate until shrimp has been poached and cooled.
Prepare the Poaching Liquid & Ice Bath
In a large stockpot, combine the water, pizza sauce, white wine, lemon slices, onion, celery, garlic head, kosher salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves.
Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to infuse the liquid.
While the liquid simmers, fill a large bowl with equal parts ice and cold water to create an ice bath.
Poach and Chill the Shrimp
Turn off the heat completely and let the stock stop bubbling (it should sit around 180°F–190°F).
Add the raw shrimp to the pot, stir gently, and cover with a lid. Let the shrimp poach off the heat for 2 to 3 minutes, just until they turn opaque pink and curl into a loose "C" shape.
Use a slotted spoon or spider skimmer to immediately transfer the shrimp to the ice bath. Leave them submerged for 3 to 4 minutes until completely cold.
Drain the shrimp thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. Peel off the shells, leaving the tail segment intact for easy dipping.
Assemble
Portion the chilled Don Pepino cocktail sauce into 4 small glasses or martini glasses.
Arrange the chilled, peeled shrimp around the rim of the glass or platter. I like to dip the shrimp in the sauce, for color, then position on the rim of the glass.
Garnish with fresh lemon wedges and sprigs of cilantro, and serve immediately.
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