If you remember my recent post, I started rambling on about giant shrimp. I love shrimp but I always look for two things before buying them. They have to be big, bad ass shrimp and they can’t have any sodium bisulfite added to them.
Sodium Bisulfite is a chemical that keeps the shrimp looking dapper for a longer time. The downside to this is that they taste like bleach, even after cooking and seasoning. Usually these SB free shrimp are a little pricier but well worth the extra dollars. So what did i do with my shrimp? I simmered them in a deep, dark tomato sauce filled with Pancetta and roasted garlic cloves, yes I did!
The idea came from an Italian restaurant I ate at recently. Aldo’s in Santa Barbara serve a dish filled with calamari and it was so good I almost licked the damn plate. You should really try making a tomato sauce from scratch, I know there’s so many choices on the shelves but it’s easy, cheap and you’ll feel all proud when you serve it. Double up this recipe for another time and mix it through some penne.
I used a 6 inch skillet for this recipe so it’s like an appetizer that can be shared. I think roasting the garlic first made a difference, It’s an extra step but you can’t rush awesomeness, when those garlic cloves become golden and chewy you know we’re not messing around. San Marzano Tomatoes are always my first choice because of their flavor. The problem is, they only come in large 28 ounce cans so you’ll have some leftover after making this. Wait…you could just make it twice!
More killer roasted garlic dishes from the foodie world!
Sally’s Baking Addiction- Roasted Garlic Parmesan Hummus
Just a Taste- Baked Asparagus Fries with Roasted Garlic Aioli
White On Rice Couple- Roasted Garlic
Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce with Juicy Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 in garlic bulb sliced half horizontally.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon diced shallot
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- A pinch of dried red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons diced Pancetta
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 cup San Marzano Plum Tomatoes crushed plus 8 tablespoons of the juice *see notes*
- 6 large shrimp peeled but tails left on
- Fresh Parmesan and basil for garnishing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place one half of the garlic bulb in the skillet you're going to use (sliced part facing up)
- Drizzle the olive oil over the garlic and bake in the oven for 35 minutes and golden brown.
- Once the garlic has been cooked, saute the diced shallot until soft.
- Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the bulb and add them to the shallot.
- Add the oregano, pepper flakes and Pancetta and cook for about 3-4 minutes.
- Season with the salt and pepper.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and juice and bring to a simmer.
- Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring. Test the seasoning and add more salt and pepper if you prefer.
- Place the shrimp into the sauce and cook until they just turn pink.
- Grate some of the Parmesan over the shrimp and garnish with shreds of fresh basil.
- Serve at once with some crusty bread sticks or baguette slices.
Notes
Wow Gerry, this is the perfect light dinner for two, I’m in love!
You are so right! The chemical free shrimp is way worth it. This meal needs to be in my tummy asap!
we only get our shrimp from a farm in Louisiana. it is worth every penny to me. Same with our crawfish. This looks amazing and i could just eat the sauce by itself:)
I love this dish, Gerry! That roasted tomato sauce looks mouthwatering!
This dish looks very Italian. I love shrimps and the roasted tomato sauce is so delish! The dish itself is really mouthwatering!
Thanks Maureen, gotta have lots of bread to mop up the sauce :)
Looks fantastic. I make a Mexican version, using Herdez brand Salsa casera (70z) and half can of Chipoltes in Adobe Sauce, Herdez. I use a different method of cooking, but the result is the same and the garlic and cilantro is the same, to taste. This is very hot and spicy so be warned. ;)
I will be trying the Italian version next time around!