Raw sauces (such as pesto) are super simple and bring huge flavor to dishes. A few years ago, I developed a recipe using Romesco sauce and it became one of my absolute favorites. This classic Spanish sauce consists of garlic, roasted red pepper, bread, vinegar and roasted almonds. Note that it doesn’t contain any dairy, yet the consistency of the sauce is creamy and comforting. Try it with pasta (like we do in this recipe) or as a dip for vegetables, bread or chicken skewers.
1. Place shrimp in a bowl.
2. Add olive oil, paprika, sugar, garlic and lemon zest and toss to combine. Cover and set aside.
3. Combine Romesco sauce ingredients in a blender until smooth (about 30 seconds) and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside.
4. Cook pasta until al dente. While pasta cooks, saute baby spinach in a large saute pan with a small amount of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl with the chopped artichokes.
5. Pour cooked pasta over the vegetables and top with romesco sauce. Toss to combine.
6. Pour the shrimp mixture in the same skillet used for the spinach. Cook over medium-high heat until the sauce has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Finish with fresh lemon juice.
7. Spoon pasta mixture on a platter and top with hot garlic shrimp. Serve.
Rigatoni with Romesco Sauce & Garlic Shrimp
Serves 6
All you need:
Shrimp
1 lb. peeled, de-veined shrimp
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Romesco Sauce
1 (12 oz.) jar roasted red peppers, drained
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (1-inch) slice bakery bread, crust removed and torn into pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 oz. rigatoni pasta
1 (6 oz.) bag baby spinach
2 (13.75 oz.) cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
All you do:
1. Place shrimp in a bowl.
2. Add olive oil, paprika, sugar, garlic and lemon zest and toss to combine. Cover and set aside.
3. Combine Romesco sauce ingredients in a blender until smooth (about 30 seconds) and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside.
4. Cook pasta until al dente. While pasta cooks, saute baby spinach in a large saute pan with a small amount of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl with the chopped artichokes.
5. Pour cooked pasta over the vegetables and top with romesco sauce. Toss to combine.
6. Pour the shrimp mixture in the same skillet used for the spinach. Cook over medium-high heat until the sauce has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Finish with fresh lemon juice.
7. Spoon pasta mixture on a platter and top with hot garlic shrimp. Serve.