Spaghetti With Shrimp and Spicy Roasted Tomatoes

Today was clean out the fridge day- time to use up a bunch of the odds and ends that were hanging out in the fridge before they go bad and have to be thrown away.  I hate to waste food...every time I have to toss leftovers, I cringe!  Must be the training I received while growing up- EVERYTHING got used, even if Saturday night dinner consisted of a buffet of every leftover from the previous week.  I am not nearly as militant about using up leftovers as my parents were, but I make an effort to use up as much as I can.  This week, the most pressing items in the fridge were a container of grape tomatoes that were beginning to get pruney, and about 1/2 pound of shrimp.  I debated ways that I might use them together and separately, and ultimately decided to make one dish and use both of them.  I wanted to make something with items already on hand in my kitchen.  I briefly considered shrimp tacos with a homemade salsa, but didn't have any limes, so decided not to go that route.

I finally decided on a pasta dish- I always have plenty of dried pastas in my pantry.  It's a simple dish packed with lots of bold flavors, including a spicy kick from fresh garlic and some red pepper flakes.  Use more or less of the pepper flakes depending on how spicy you like it- you can even omit them if you want.  If you do, I would increase the black pepper just a bit, to round out the flavors.  This is not a saucy pasta dish- the roasted tomatoes have a bit of a pasty consistency that clings to the pasta well, without being liquid.  I topped mine with some chopped chives from my garden, and some freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.  This makes a nice light, tasty pasta dish.

Spaghetti With Shrimp and Spicy Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients:

Shrimp and marinade:

1/2 tsp grated fresh lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced finely
couple dashes red pepper flakes
Salt/pepper
1/2 pound small to medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed


Pasta:

1 pint grape tomatoes, rinsed and dried
olive oil
spaghetti noodles- enough for 3-4 servings
1/2 small onion, sliced thinly
5 cloves garlic, minced finely
Red pepper flakes
salt/pepper to taste

Garnish: freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, chopped fresh herbs

1.  Combine all shrimp and marinade ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate at least 15 minutes.

2.   Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place tomatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil and toss to coat.  Roast in oven about 20-30 minutes, until tomatoes are soft and most liquid has evaporated.  Remove tomatoes to a cutting board and chop roughly with a knife.

3.  Cook spaghetti according to package directions until al dente.  Drain and set aside.

4.  Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet.  Remove shrimp from marinade with a slotted spoon and place in hot pan.  Discard marinade.  Cook 1-2 minutes and then turn over and cook 1-2 minutes more until cooked through, being careful not to overcook. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.

5.  Add onions to pan and stir and cook about 3 minutes over medium heat until softened.  Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook 1 more minute, being careful not to scorch garlic.  Add 1 more tbsp olive oil to pan and spaghetti noodles to pan and toss well to coat noodles with olive oil mixture.  Add tomatoes and shrimp and toss to incorporate, and heat through.

6.  Serve garnished with grated cheese and chopped herbs.

Makes about 3-4 modest servings, or 2 large ones.