Roasted Shrimp with Mayo and Mustard Sauce

My mom offered to bring an appetizer for Christmas dinner. I'd had my eye on Ina Garten's roasted shrimp for awhile so I asked her to try that method with some shrimp.

We all agreed that there's no other way to make shrimp now that we've had them roasted. They were incredible, so bursty, plump and flavorful. I asked her to make a mayo and grainy mustard sauce to go with them. These were gone within a matter of minutes.

Roasted Shrimp
Shrimp from Ina Garten, sauce from A Taste of Home Cooking

2 pounds (12 to 15-count) shrimp
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup mayo
2-3 tablespoons whole grain mustard

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Place them on a sheet pan with the olive oil, salt and pepper and spread them in an even layer.

Roast for 8 to 10 minutes, until just pink, firm and cooked through. Set aside to cool.

Mix together the mayo and mustard, tasting and adding more mustard as needed.

Recipe Swap: Pasta with Shrimp and Lemon Cream Sauce

After you read this post stop what you're doing, go to the supermarket, buy the ingredients for this recipe and make it. It's seriously that good.

But let's start from the beginning. The theme for this recipe swap was Holiday Baking/Cooking. I had planned to peruse Jaida's vast archive of cookies and other sweet treats so I could make something for Christmas but time got away from me. The holidays seemed even crazier this year and once I remembered that I had to make something for the swap it was after the New Year. I knew I (1) didn't want to make something sweet that would tempt me to eat all of it and (2) that I couldn't send it in to work with SP because chances were good that his coworkers wouldn't appreciate being tempted either.

I always make seafood for Christmas Eve dinner so I figured I'd have a look at her seafood recipes. And then I spotted it, this recipe for Pasta with Shrimp and Lemon Cream Sauce. I happened to have shrimp leftover (from Christmas Eve, actually) so I put it on the menu.

Guys, seriously, this is an amazing recipe. It might not sound like much from the ingredient list, but everything comes together so well. And angel hair is my new favorite pasta - there's just something about its lightness that gets me every time.

If you want to check out what else was made during the swap click on the links in the link-up after the recipe.

Pasta with Shrimp and Lemon Cream Sauce
As seen on Sweet Beginnings, from Simply Recipes

3/4 pound angel hair (capellini) pasta
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 pound raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup (loosely packed) parsley leaves, chopped
3-4 scallions, minced (about 1/4 cup)
Zest of a lemon
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and put it in a large bowl.

In a small pot, bring the cream, stock and lemon juice to a low simmer. Simmer gently for 5 minutes. Add the shrimp. Stir well and add a pinch of salt and black pepper. Let the shrimp cook 4-5 minutes.

Add the parsley and chives to the sauce and let cook for about 1 minute. Pour the shrimp and sauce into the pasta bowl and mix well. Add the lemon zest and the Parmesan and mix again.

Divide into servings, and top with more Parmesan.

Lemon-Garlic Linguine with Mascarpone and Shrimp

I love shrimp and I love pasta, so as soon as I saw Josie post this recipe for Lemon-Garlic Linguine with Mascarpone and Shrimp I knew I had to make it. I had it on the menu for a recent Friday but it got bumped because I'd had a hellish week and needed to get out of the house. I finally made it for Sunday dinner and boy, was it good.

The original recipe calls for cooking the shrimp in the pan but SP wanted to grill and I figured the added flavor would be great. Unfortunately the shrimp aren't on the grill long enough to get any of that delicious charcoal flavor, so it was an unnecessary step. I doubled the recipe so we'd have leftovers (plus I splurged and bought the real-deal mascarpone and it came in an 8-oz container). I should have taken my own advice and left out the red pepper flakes, but I was just blindly following the recipe and forgot to omit them, so this was spicy when all I wanted was creamy goodness. That didn't stop me from inhaling my portion.


I'm still trying to get Baby Girl to try shrimp. I know she'd love them but so far all I've gotten her to do is stick a piece in her mouth and then spit it out. We're working on it.

Lemon-Garlic Linguine with Mascarpone and Shrimp
Pink Parsley

Kosher salt
8 oz dried linguine
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Juice of 1 lemon
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced into rings
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
Lemon slices, for serving

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to boil. Add the linguine and cook until just al dente, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

Meanwhile, pat the shrimp dry and toss with half the lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.

In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, melt the butter until the foaming subsides. Add the shallot, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring continuously, until the garlic is just turning brown, about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and cook about 90 seconds on one side. Turn the shrimp, reduce the heat to medium, and add the white wine and half the lemon juice.

Bring to a boil and cook about 1 minute. Add the mascarpone, reserved pasta water, and linguine, and toss to coat. Cook an addtional 1-2 minutes, or until the pasta is well coated and the sauce has thickened. Mix in the remaining lemon zest and juice, and the chives. Season with additional salt and pepper if necessary, and serve immediately with lemon slices.

Spaghetti with Shrimp, Roasted Tomatoes and Spinach

I saw this recipe for Spaghetti with Shrimp, Roasted Tomatoes and Spinach in a recent issue of Parenting magazine, but for some reason it isn't showing up when I search their website. I had a pound of shrimp in the freezer and this seemed like an easy weeknight recipe.


I learned something very important while making this recipe - we do not like whole wheat pasta. The texture was gummy and the flavor totally overwhelmed the other flavors in this dish. Unfortunately it was all we had on hand and I thought it would be a good time to see if the healthier substitute would work. SP loved the shrimp but was trying to eat around the pasta. Next time I will go back to good old regular pasta, although I've been told to try Dreamfields before swearing off the healthier pasta options completely.

I made quite a few changes to the original recipe, mainly because I can't stand loose skin on tomatoes. The texture always makes me gag, so I subbed one can of drained diced tomatoes for the 1/2 pint of grape tomatoes in the original recipe. I also added white wine because I thought it would add better flavor then chicken broth, threw in two chopped leeks because I had some that needed to be used up, and coated the shrimp with flour to make them crispier. I can't wait to make this again with good pasta.

Spaghetti with Shrimp, Roasted Tomatoes and Spinach
As seen in Parenting magazine

1 can diced tomatoes, drained, juice reserved
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 pound linguine or spaghetti
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 leeks, sliced, soaked in cold water to remove grit and drained
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups baby spinach

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a baking dish, toss together the tomatoes, half the garlic, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the Panko and roast for another 5 minutes.

Boil the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Add two tablespoons olive oil, butter to the pan and heat until smoking. In a plastic food storage bag, toss the shrimp and flour together to coat. Add the shrimp and sauté until they're pink and cooked through, about four minutes. Remove to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the leeks. Cook until the leeks are soft, about 2 minutes, then add the wine and deglaze the pan. Cook for an additional two minutes, then add the pasta, roasted tomatoes and baby spinach and cook for another minute. Toss well and serve.

Spicy Citrus Shrimp Tacos

I love shrimp and I love tacos, but I rarely make them. That needs to change. Shrimp on a regular basis used to be out of my price range, but lately the price for frozen shrimp at the wholesale club seems to be dropping. I've seen this recipe for Spicy Citrus Shrimp Tacos floating around my cooking board recently, so I thought I'd give it a try.


We thought these were good (and probably would have been better with a squirt or two of lime once the tacos were assembled, which we forgot in our haste to eat), but we both prefer the Shrimp Tacos with Jalapeno-Ranch Sauce I've made a few times before. Citrus will cook the shrimp if left to sit too long, but that means I didn't taste any of the flavors after only 30 minutes. I'm planning to try the marinade with chicken since that can sit longer and really soak up the flavors of the orange, lemon and lime.

Spicy Citrus Shrimp Tacos
Slightly Modified from Pink Parsley

Juice of 1 orange
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lime
2 chipotle chiles en adobo
1 teaspoon adobo liquid
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
Shredded Monteray Jack cheese
8 small (6-inch) flour tortillas
1/2 lime, cut into wedges or slices

Southwest Cream Sauce
1 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

In the bowl of a food processor, combine all the ingredients for the marinade, through the salt and pepper, and process until smooth and well combined. Pour over shrimp in a medium bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes, but no longer than 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together all the ingredients for the southwest cream sauce.

Thread the shrimp onto skewers, and grill on a well-oiled grate 1-3 minutes per side, until opaque and cooked through. Use the grill to heat the tortillas as well. You can also cook the shrimp in a skillet over high heat for about 2 minutes per side.

Assemble tacos with shrimp, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese and cream sauce. Spritz with lime wedges.

Penne with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce

I love shrimp but I feel like I make the same recipes over and over again. I went searching through my recipe file for something new and came across this recipe for Penne with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce. I also Googled it to see what other food bloggers thought and it received nothing but rave reviews.


I think a full pound of pasta is a little too much for this recipe and would cut it in half next time. The sauce was creamy and flavorful from the herbs. Even Baby Girl loved this, although she wasn't interested in the shrimp. Silly girl.

Penne with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce
Recipe from Giada De Laurentiis

1/2 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, and deveined
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup white wine
1/3 cup clam juice
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until the shrimp turn pink and is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp and set aside.

Add the tomatoes, 1/4 cup basil, 1/4 cup parsley, and the red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine, clam juice, and heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the cooked shrimp, the cooked pasta, and the remaining herbs. Toss together until all ingredients are coated. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve immediately.