Penne with Shrimp and Roasted Vegetables incorporates herbed and roasted Zucchini, Peppers and Asparagus in a Tomato sauce with fresh Shrimp.
I first made this dish using slices of Italian sausage rather than shrimp. That works very nicely too, but I tried this variation on a whim and decided I liked it every bit as much.
You will note that the Recipe Card below calls for Parmesan cheese, both as an ingredient, and then as extra to be added at the table. True purists, and the guardians of all that is sacred in Italian cuisine will tell you that cheese does NOT go with shellfish.
You may tell them to go away.
Ingredient Notes
The choice of pasta you use is completely up to you, but when a sauce contains large pieces of vegetable, as here, then shapes like Penne, or Fusilli are a better choice than long, thin varieties like spaghetti. Penne can be plain or ‘Rigate’, meaning ‘ridged’, and I have used the letter here as the ridges help hold the sauce nicely.
The Method
First, toss the vegetables in a bowl along with the rosemary, pepper, four to five tablespoons of oil and a pinch of salt, then set this aside to marinate for at least thirty minutes.
Heat your oven to 450 degrees and spread the vegetables out in a roasting pan large enough that they have lots of space and are not jammed up against each other.
Spread the vegetables out in a roasting pan large enough that they have lots of space and are not jammed up against each other and roast at 450-degrees Fahrenheit for about twenty to twenty-five minutes or so. Stir the vegetables a couple of times during cooking, and remove them from the oven when they are tender and nicely colored. At this point, put the pasta on to boil in salted water.
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When the pasta is almost finished, heat a pan over medium heat and add a few tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the shrimp until nicely pink. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and add the tomato puree.
Just as the sauce begins to bubble and thicken a little, drain and add the pasta, along with the garlic and the parsley. Sir, allowing the pasta to absorb some of the sauce, and, if necessary, add a little of the pasta cooking water to maintain a good consistency to the sauce.
Finally, add the cheese and the vegetables, stir a few more times to heat everything through, then plate your Penne with Shrimp and Roasted Vegetables for service, passing extra cheese at the table.
Your Recipe Card:
Penne with Shrimp and Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients
- 2 cups Penne
- 12 – 16 medium Shrimp
- 6 medium spears of Asparagus cut into 2-inch sections
- 1 small Zucchini cut into 2-inch sticks
- ½ a Red Pepper cut into sticks
- 1 cup pureed Tomatoes
- ¼ cup Parsley
- 1 tbsp. chopped Garlic
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh Rosemary
- 1 tsp. ground Black Pepper
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese and more as desired
Instructions
- Marinate the vegetables in a bowl along with the rosemary, pepper, four to five tablespoons of oil and a pinch of salt for at least thirty minutes.
- Spread the vegetables out in a large pan and roast at 450-degrees Fahrenheit for about twenty to twenty-five minutes or so.
- Put the pasta on to boil in salted water and, when it is almost ready, stir-fry the shrimp in little oil over moderate heat, and sprinkle them with a pinch of salt.
- Add the pureed tomatoes and when the sauce begins to bubble, drain the pasta, reserving a little of the water.
- Add the pasta to the sauce along with the garlic and the parsley and stir for a moment or two to allow the pasta to absorb some of the sauce. Add a little of the pasta cooking water to maintain a good consistency, if necessary.
- Finally, add the cheese and the vegetables, stir a few more times to heat everything through, then plate for service, passing extra cheese at the table.