Roasted Shrimp with Pasta and Garden Vegetables

I have always wanted to try roasting shrimp in the oven, today I did it.  Now I have to wonder why I waited so long!  The shrimp cook perfectly tender, not soggy as with the boil method.  They seem to absorb the seasoning much better.  Not only are they cooked perfectly, it takes only 6 to 8 minutes, no turning.  Roasting shrimp is the way to go from now on!

For this recipe I use large shell-on shrimp that have been deveined.  In a large skillet I sautéed onions, chopped garlic, yellow summer squash and cherry tomatoes.  To that I made a light sauce of chicken broth with fat-free half and half added at the end.  Then I pull it altogether by combing the shrimp and vegetable sauce and serve it with a multi-grain angel hair pasta.  The sauce gently coats the pasta, but does not overpower it…the shrimp are the stars here. 

Enjoy!

Roasted Shrimp with Pasta and Garden Vegetables

Serves 4

Shrimp Ingredients:

1 Tbls. Extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. Raw large shell-on shrimp, deveined
½ Tsp. Garlic powder
½ Tsp. Crushed dry rosemary
½ Tsp. Dry Oregano flakes
¼ Tsp. Onion powder

Cooking Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Rinse your shrimp under cold water and lay them out on paper towels, pat dry.  Place the shrimp on a foil lined baking sheet pan.  Drizzle the olive oil over the shrimp, and add the rest of the spice ingredients.  Toss to coat.  Arrange your shrimp on the pan in a single layer, leaving some space between each shrimp.  If you like, you can place the shrimp in the refrigerator at this point until you are ready to roast them. 

Roast the shrimp in the oven for 6 – 8 minutes, until completely cooked (the shells will become pink and the shrimp are opaque all the way through).  Remove from the oven and let them rest on the baking pan.  Once they are cooled enough to handle, remove the shells and the tail.  Set the shrimp aside for later.

Pasta and Vegetable Ingredients:

8 oz. Uncooked multi-grain angel hair pasta

2 Tbls. Extra virgin olive oil
1 Cup Chopped sweet onion
2 Tbls. Chopped raw garlic
2 Yellow summer squash (slender and smallish in size, about 1 pound); cut in quarters, then sliced about ¼ inch thick
½ Cup Sweet red bell pepper, diced
1 Cup Cherry tomato halves (cut the fresh cherry tomatoes in half and measure out 1 cup)
1 Tsp. Dried basil
1 Tsp. Fresh thyme leaves
½ Tsp. Dried oregano
½ Tsp. Crushed dried rosemary
1/8 Tsp. Fresh ground pepper
1 Cup Fat-free, low-sodium chicken stock
3 Tbls. Fat-free half and half
1 Tbls. Chopped fresh basil leaves

Cooking Instructions:

Bring water to boil in a large pot, add the pasta and cook according to the package directions.  Drain the pasta reserving about ½ cup cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add olive oil and chopped onions.  Sauté the onions until they are translucent.  Add the squash and garlic; sauté until tender.  Add the bell pepper, tomatoes, and the next 5 spice ingredients. Continue to cook until the peppers are just tender and the tomato skins just begin to wilt.  Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for another 5 minutes.  Turn the heat off and add the half and half; mix.

Add the roasted shrimp, cooked pasta and fresh basil to the vegetable sauce.  If you want your pasta with a saucier, add some of the reserved pasta liquid, ¼ cup at a time until you reach your desired amount of sauce.  Add the reserved liquid with caution, adding too much will cause a loss of flavor in your sauce. Toss and serve.

Shrimp with Tomato Sauce

Many years ago, while on vacation, I visited an Italian restaurant and ordered a shrimp and spaghetti dish that was smothered in a light tomato sauce.  To this day I still remember this dish as one of my restaurant favorites.  The shrimp paired so perfectly with the sauce and the spaghetti noodles it was served over.  My recipe, Shrimp with Tomato Sauce, reminds me of that dish and brings back some of the fond memories from that trip. 

As with all the dishes in my blog I strive to achieve maximum flavor and satisfaction while maintaining our diet restrictions. 

Enjoy!

Shrimp with Tomato Sauce

Serves 5 - 6

2 Tbls.  Extra virgin olive oil

1 Large shallot, finely chopped
4 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Cups Diced Roma tomatoes, about 3 large, or 4 medium
½ Tsp. Dried basil
¼ Tsp. Dried oregano
1 ½ lb. Jumbo Shrimp, shelled, deveined and rinsed
½ Cup Chicken stock, low-fat, low-sodium
2 Tbls. Dry Sherry (do not use cooking sherry)
Juice of ½ lemon
¼ Cup Fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Note:  Feel free to use fresh herbs as an alternative to the dried herbs I list in the recipe, but be sure to adjust the amount, and add them near the end of the cooking process to maintain their color, flavor and texture.

 

Heat a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add olive oil and swirl to coat.  Turn the heat down to medium-low, add the shallots and sauté for 2 minutes, add garlic and continue to cook for another 2 minutes; stirring often (take care not to burn the garlic).  Add the diced tomatoes, basil and oregano; cook until just tender. 

Add the shrimp to the pan; arrange in a single layer around pan and nestle between the tomatoes (shrimp should touch the bottom of the skillet).  Cook for about 3 minutes, then add the chicken stock and sherry; turn shrimp on the other side.  Sprinkle each shrimp with the lemon juice. Cook another 3-4 minutes, or until they are completely cooked through and opaque.  Finally, add the chopped parsley at the end and toss.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Remove from the heat and serve immediately over, or along side, your favorite multi-grain spagetti noodles.

Preparation suggestions for spagetti noodles:  While the spagetti is cooking...saute finely chopped garlic in 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil.  Drain the spagetti, and reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid.  Add  the noodles to the olive oil with garlic and toss.  Add enough cooking liquid to the pasta to create a sauce.  If you like, you can add some chopped fresh parsley and grated cheese.