Ceasar Salad Shrimp Pasta, a quick weeknight dinner

I made this dish for the fourth time, first time was on July 18, 2011, second time in a month to perfect it and write it up so it would be the easiest for me to execute quickly.  The best thing about it is that by the time the pasta has finished boiling, your dish is done.  This dish makes a good summer pasta because it is more like a pasta salad than a hot pasta dish and it has a light oil sauce.  As the pasta is cooking you clean and chop your veggies and shrimp, cook the onions, then the shrimp and make the sauce.  By the time the pasta is done you can take it from the boiling water directly into the sauce.  Toss in the romaine and serve.   

I don't use whole wheat pasta in this dish because I think in light sauces the flavor of the wheat pasta stands out too much.  In a red sauce you don't notice the flavor.

I've tried different shrimps, raw skewered and frozen raw shrimp, both work well but you may not be able to find the skewered shrimp.  The thing about skewering the shrimp is that it makes them easy to find in the dish and gives a better presentation if you are doing it for company.  Otherwise I always have to tell my husband how many to take so I get my fair share.  I get my skewered shrimp at Sprouts and they can be as low as .79 cents a skewer.  The good thing about using the frozen shrimp is a lot of them time I have them on hand so this makes for a "forgot to plan dinner" kind of meal.

I've also tried different breads.  When I buy French bread I grind and crumble the leftovers so I always have frozen bread crumbs in the freezer.  I've used these from whole wheat and regular French bread.  I've made croutons when I had French bread on hand but what I wouldn't do is omit the bread.  The crunch of the bread really gives it something extra.

The original recipe came from Cuisine at Home, Issue #48, August 2011.   Initially the pasta was a bit too spicy and too lemony. To save calories most recently I cut the butter in half and reduced the oil.

If you love ceasar salads you will love this dish.

 

CEASAR SALAD SHRIMP PASTA

8 oz. linguine, boiled

5 slices sour dough baguette (2 slices whole wheat french bread), sliced and baked

16 shrimp (31-40 ct.)

Saute:

1 T. (drizzle) EVOO

1 shallot or ½ lg. sweet onion, diced

2 oz. can anchovy fillets in oil, drained

3 cloves garlic, grated

1 lemon, juiced (2 T.) and zested

2 t. Worcestershire sauce

¼ t. red pepper flakes

¼ t. coarse black pepper

1 T. unsalted butter

Toss, off heat:

1 head romaine heart, chopped

¼ C. Parmesan, grated

 

Slice baguette, drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with garlic salt. Bake 400°F for 15-20 minutes or until dry and golden. Set aside to cool, crumble. 

 

Bring water to a boil, add linguine and salt. Cook according to package directions, drain or transfer to sauce if ready. 

 

Chop onions and lettuce. Wash lettuce and set aside. Rinse frozen shrimp, remove tails and clean if necessary. 

 

In large 2" deep skillet add a drizzle of oil and chopped onions. Saute till onions begin to soften then add anchovies. Break up anchovies and cook till onions are soft and anchovies are melted, about 3 minutes. Add shrimp, cook till no longer opaque 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, cook 1 minute. Turn off heat. Zest lemon. Stir in lemon juice, zest, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, pepper and butter.

 

Move pasta from water to pot and toss to coat with sauce. Add romaine and crumbled baguette slices, toss. Grate Parmesan over top. Serves 3-4 but for 3 or more add a few extra shrimps.

 

Notes: In some stores they sell skewered shrimp. If you don’t see these, skewer them yourself or use loose raw frozen shrimp, rinsed, deveined and tails removed. Also this is not a HOT pasta dish, it is more room temperature. This is a quick dish and can be completed by the time the pasta is cooked.

 

Cooking Method: To grill skewered shrimp. Heat grill to 170°F, drizzle shrimp with EVOO and sprinkle with pepper and dried lemon zest. Toss. Grill for 3 minutes per side. 

 

Variations:

• Don’t have a baguette, use ½ C. toasted bread crumbs or 2 slices of baked whole wheat French bread.
• If you don’t have a fresh lemon you can omit the peal but I do think fresh juice is the best.