A Delicious Summer Seafood Pasta

Not to toot my own horn, but this recipe is restaurant-quality! There’s just something about using fresh, sweet tomatoes that makes a sauce so much better.

I am so excited to share this goodness with you. It’s not only delicious but super healthy and easy to prep. The shrimp and calamari needs to be prepped first, as the marinade helps it absorb all of the flavor. I like to give it at least 30 minutes before I start cooking.

Note that you can mix and match whatever seafood additions you’d like, but this sauce is perfectly delicious on its own. I plan to make it again with clams, but you could add mushrooms or cauliflower to make it vegetarian-friendly or chickpea or brown rice pasta for a gluten-free version.

Pro tip: You’ll want to double the sauce and reserve half before you throw in the seafood—it can last in the fridge for up to 4 days for a quick (and delicious) lunch or dinner.

SUMMER SEAFOD PASTA

for the cherry tomato shallot sauce

4 whole shallots, sliced thin
2 cups ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp. tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
1/2 c. white wine
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt or to taste
Dried oregano, basil, parsley to taste
Optional: crushed red pepper flakes

for the pasta

1 lb. shrimp, tail on
2 tubes calamari, cut into rings
Parmesan cheese, for grating
1/4 c. basil, torn into pieces
Optional: Mussels, scallops, clams, or other seafood of choice

directions

1. Rinse and pat dry shrimp and calamari (or other seafood, if using). Toss in a bowl with olive oil, salt, and crushed red pepper (optional). Let marinade in fridge, covered, for at least 30 mins. or up to 8 hours.
2. Heat lug of olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add sliced shallots to pan. Cook for about 5 minutes until they softens and become fragrant. Add garlic and cook for a minute longer.
3. Add the halved cherry tomatoes, white wine, spices, and tomato paste to the pan. Simmer until slightly boiling, then turn it down to medium heat and add a big pinch of sea salt. Let it cook down to a nice sauce, stirring frequently.
4. Add uncooked shrimp to sauce until cooked throughly. Add more white wine to thin the sauce if needed, or more tomato paste to thicken.
5. Serve over pasta with grated parmesan, torn basil, and freshly cracked black pepper.

Easy, Elevated Weeknight Swaps

During the week, I like to try and keep things pretty simple. My favorite salad recipe has been on rotation for as long as I can remember. I like to swap out the base for things like kale, mesclun or spinach, but lately I've been feeling a little uninspired. 

Being busy can make you feel like you only have time for takeout or convenience meals, but that's definitely not true. Since we finally started to feel settled in, things are starting to become more routine and I love to cook during the week in our new kitchen. I've been switching things up by making small tweaks to our normal go-to meals to make them feel a little bit more like a treat.

I’ve grown quite fond of swapping out tomatoes in my recipes for radishes. On salads, tacos, sandwiches, they add the right amount of flavor and crunch. It got me thinking about how just a few simple ingredient swaps can take your recipes to a whole new level.

SIMPLE CAESAR SALAD FOR  2 PEOPLE

2 tbsp homemade caesar dressing
1 lemon (squeezed)
1 tbsp manchego cheese
2 cups romaine or mesclun
1 baby radish
1/4 cups croutons

OTHER SWAPS I’M CURRENTLY LOVING RIGHT NOW

swap: homemade pesto (on pasta, pizza and wraps—it's the best-o!) in lieu of tomato sauce
swap: manchego cheese in place of parmesan
swap: white bean hummus for mayo
swap: sweet potato for chicken (it makes amazing tacos!)
swap: quinoa for oatmeal—it's packed with protein and healthy carbs to keep you full
swap: coconut oil for olive oil adds a bit of flavor and has a higher smoke point

What are your go-to weeknight meals? I'd love to know!