Shrimp Linguine with Romesco Sauce

Romesco is a garlicky, crunchy paste-like sauce with a hint of vinegary tang. You can use it with shrimp, chicken, on top of a steak, on a crostini topped with feta or goat cheese, or anywhere else you want a hit of super jacked up flavour.

Romesco Sauce (yields about 2 Cups – takes about 4 hours —> 3 of those hours to roast tomatoes and red pepper)

4 fresh tomatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch discs

1 red pepper, seeds and pith removed, cut into pieces

10 cloves roasted garlic

5 cloves raw garlic, rough chopped

1/2 C Parmigiano, grated

1/8-1/4 tsp chilli flakes (depends on your preference for heat – add more if you like)

1/4 – 1/2 tsp salt (add 1/4 tsp, taste and add more if you want)

1/4 C olive oil

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

A 2-inch wide slice of stale baguette, torn into small pieces

50g hazelnuts, skinned, toasted, rough chopped

50g blanched almonds, toasted, rough chopped

– Preheat oven 225° – lay tomatoes and red pepper pieces in a single layer on two parchment lined baking sheets – drizzle with olive oil and roast in oven for three hours, flipping tomato slices and pepper pieces after 90 minutes – after three hours, remove skin from roasted red pepper pieces

– in food processor, pulse roasted tomatoes, roasted red pepper, roasted garlic, raw garlic, Parmigiano, chili flakes, salt, olive oil and red wine vinegar until just combined

– add crumbled bread and pulse until mixed in – if Romesco is too thick add more olive oil by the teaspoon and red wine vinegar by the 1/2 teaspoon and taste

– add hazenuts and almonds – pulse until nuts are processed but still chunky

Ling Shrimp for Two

1/2 pound linguine

1 Tbsp butter

10 jumbo shrimp, shelled, de-veined

1 C Romesco

1/2 C pasta water

grated Parmigiano

– bring a large pot of salted water to a boil – cook linguine according to package instructions until al dente

– when pasta has 5 minutes left to cook, heat butter in a sautée pan over medium heat – cook shrimp (about 2 minutes on each side)

– scoop out 1/2 C pasta water before draining pasta – put hot drained pasta back in pot and add the 1/2 C pasta water, Romesco sauce and cooked shrimp – toss with tongs until Romesco ‘melts’ through and coats linguine and shrimp (this is not a saucy pasta – the Romesco is going to cling to the noodles and shrimp – see photo above)

– garnish with grated Parmigiano ‘se ti fa piacere’ – if it pleases you