Castellon's Kitchen: Seafood

I realize it's now November, but I'm still working on finishing up a few Halloween blogs as I got a really late start to Halloween this year. I'm still selecting photos and writing for two more Halloween blogs...better late, than never...right? I made this recipe weeks before Halloween, but I wasn't happy with how the photos came out so I had to make it again. Most times, when I make dishes more than once, I usually do it within the same week or even the same day. But as my husband will attest when I make a large dish of pasta, there is only so much leftover pasta he can eat. So I had to give him time to be willing to eat days of leftover pasta and that day was yesterday.

I made this delicious Squid Ink Spaghetti with Shrimp and an easy homemade roasted red pepper and leek pasta sauce. It's super simple to prepare just throw the veggies in a skillet with wine and broth, heat until leeks are soft and then blend. Sauce done.✔Cook the pasta and saute the shrimp. ✔✔ Toss together and Tada! Halloween dinner is served. 🎃

Here's a photo with out the basil garnish, I really liked pure black and orange look of this photo for Halloween.

Dead Sea Spaghetti (Squid Ink Spaghetti with Shrimp)

Serves 4

Easy Roasted Pepper Leek Sauce
2 T canola oil
2 leeks, white/light green parts chopped
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 cup roasted red peppers
1-14 oz. can tomatoes, diced
1-14 oz can chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine]
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 T honey
1 T balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Pasta and Shrimp
1 lb. squid ink pasta
1 lb 71-90 shrimp, peeled and tail off
salt and cayenne pepper
2 T butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
Roasted red bell peppers, strips
fresh basil (garnish)

In a large skillet, add oil, leeks, garlic, red peppers, tomatoes, chicken broth, wine, basil, hone, and balsamic vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until leeks and garlic are soft.

Let cool a little and then blend until smooth in a blender.

Transfer blended sauce to a medium saucepan. Salt and pepper to taste and keep warm on low.
Prepare squid ink pasta according to package directions. Keep warm and coat with olive oil or canola oil while you prepare the shrimp.
Salt and pepper the shrimp. Heat butter and garlic in a hot skillet and add shrimp and roasted red bell pepper strips and saute until pink about 8 minutes. Toss butter garlic shrimp with pasta.
In a large warm serving bowl put the red pepper leek sauce in the bottom of the serving bowl and then top with the pasta and shrimp. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.

Other Halloween pasta recipes to try:

Nightcrawlers Con Funghi

Grubs Au Gratin

Love at First Bite Linguini

Happy January everyone! I'm sorry to say I have done very little blogging since December. Once my kids went back to school, I had that horrible flu for a few weeks. Totally sucked! But I'm back to health and I have a lot of plans for this year. One of the biggest plans is our kitchen remodel. I'm so excited to get a new kitchen! The downside is that I'm won't be able to blog too much during construction. However, I'm hard at work coming up with some interesting recipes to make without a kitchen, like creative crockpot meals and grilling. Mainly out of necessity so I don't have to buy fast food every night. It'll be challenging to prepare food without all my usual equipment or a kitchen sink. I also have some fun Halloween ideas in the works that I'll post in the next few days. I know you're probably thinking...Halloween? Already? The short answer is, Yes! It's always time for fun Halloween food.
In the meantime, here is a simple and delicious main dish of sweet Scallops Piccata made with Meyer Lemon Jam. Enjoy!

Scallops Piccata with Meyer Lemon Jam

Serves 2-4

1 package angel hair pasta
extra virgin olive oil
parsley, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1 clove garlic, finely grated
1/2 cup white wine
2 T Meyer Lemon Jam
2-3 T capers
1 T butter
salt and pepper
12 oz. jumbo scallops
1 T clarified butter
parsley, chopped
Meyer lemon wedges

Cook pasta according to package directions and toss with olive oil and parsley and set aside.
In a large skillet, add chicken broth and reduce to one cup. Add garlic, wine and lemon jam and bring to a simmer and heat for 5 minutes. Add capers and finish with a pat of butter. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Keep warm over low heat as you prepare the scallops.

Dry scallops with a paper towel and salt and pepper both sides.

In a large skillet, heat clarified butter until melted and beginning to shimmer. Add scallops and cook for two minutes on each side. Serve immediately with angel hair pasta and spoon over sauce and garnish with parsley and lemon wedges.