Sometimes you happen upon a recipe that you just know is going to be a winner. When I saw this recipe for Shrimp Pasta With Oven Dried Tomatoes, I just knew that our family would flip for it and could not wait to try it. I decided to make this one for a yummy weekend meal and there were barely any leftovers because, in their words, “We just can’t stop eating this.”
This dish is restaurant-worthy and is another dish that I can add to our pool of date night meals in for my husband and I. The sweetness of the tomatoes, the creaminess of the mascarpone cheese, and the big bites of shrimp throughout make this the perfect dish to entertain with or just to share with your family around the table.
Many of my favorite dishes (like my Presto Pesto Pasta Con Pollo or my Skillet Penne & Sausage Supper) call for sundried tomatoes as an ingredient and these can be both expensive and not available at the grocery stores that I shop at. I had never thought to try oven drying the tomatoes, but this technique yielded a deliciously chewy tomato that would be perfect as a substitution in my pasta recipes. You do need to plan ahead with this technique, but it is so simple and straightforward that you can be tackling other things around the house while you create your own dried tomatoes for your recipes.
Recipe:
Shrimp Pasta with Oven-Dried Tomatoes
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Olive oil
Small pinch of sugar
Kosher salt and pepper
1 lb. bowtie pasta
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
¾ cup chopped yellow onion (I did omit these)
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
½ cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
6 oz. mascarpone cheese*
½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
¼ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
*Mascarpone cheese is similar to cream cheese and can be found in the specialty cheese section of most grocery stores.
Directions:
To make the oven dried tomatoes, preheat the oven to 225˚ F. Place the tomatoes in a small baking dish in a single layer, cut side facing up. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper. Bake for about 3 hours, or until the tomatoes are mostly shriveled up. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Once boiling, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well.
While the pasta is cooking, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook in a single layer, flipping once during cooking, just until opaque, about 2-3 minutes. Remove to a plate, tent loosely with foil and set aside. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the pan. Sauté the onion until slightly softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and sauté just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine or broth and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Return the shrimp to the pan and add in the drained pasta along with the oven-dried tomatoes. Add the mascarpone to the pan and stir until completely melted. Stir in the basil and Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan as desired.
Prep Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Serving Size: 6
Source: Annie’s Eats (not adapted at all, absolute perfection)