Roasted Garlic and Tomato Shrimp Spaghettini

Roasted Garlic and Tomato Shrimp Spaghettini

Who doesn't love pasta?  I know, I know, too many carbs, however this recipe is light, healthy, and I even sneaked in spinach.  It's powerful food so leave the guilt behind.  I'm a big tomato lover and I itch every summer for fresh sun ripened tomatoes and by roasting the tomatoes the flavor is that much intensified, almost like sun dried tomatoes but fresher and better.  This recipe is simple and effortless.

Begin by choosing the freshest tomatoes.  I bought large cherry tomatoes because they smelled fragrant and were perfectly ripe.  Don't focus on which tomato or which size, you can always cut them up and they will shrivel once roasted, seek a tasty tomato.  Wash tomatoes and cut into roughly 1 inch pieces.  Peel the garlic and cut the 6 gloves in three pieces.  Arrange in a baking deep baking tray or over safe pan the tomatoes, garlic, fresh or dried oregano (thyme would also work), and season aggressively with salt.  Add 1/4 cup of olive oil and toss.  Bake in a preheated oven at 400 for approximately 20 minutes until tomatoes are soft and have rendered juices.

Peel, rinse and dry the shrimp.  I used 31/40 sized raw deveined shell on shrimp.  If you are in a rush you can opt for cooked shrimp, simply toss the into the hot dish to warm through.  I marinated the shrimp in a few generous tbsp of olive oil, the remaining garlic chopped, and 1/2 tsp of oregano. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Next, fill a large pot 3/4 with water (salted) to a boil.  Cook pasta according to package instructions and be sure to reserve a cup of its cooking liquid prior to straining.

Heat a large pan to medium heat, and add the shrimp, its marinate, salt and pepper.  Cook for 1-2 minutes per side until the shrimp is not longer translucent and remove from heat.  Reheat the baked tomatoes on the stove top on medium to high heat and add a splash of dry white wine to de-glaze the pan, stirring the bottom to lift all the stuck bits and pieces (tons of flavor).  Add the washed raw spinach, the shrimp, and drained pasta.  Incorporate the ingredients well, and add the reserved pasta cooking liquid to extend your sauce.

Served piled high and garnish with your favorite fresh herb, fresh grated Parmesan, and my favorite crushed chili flakes.  Yumm!


Ingredients
(Serves 4 generously)
1 pkg spaghettini or capellini
340 g of raw deveined shrimp
325 g of tomatoes (2 containers of cherry tomatoes)
1 bag of baby spinach
6 stems of fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried
8 garlic cloves
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Splash of white wine (optional)
Fresh Parmesan
Salt & Pepper