Argentinian Shrimp Marinara with Linguini

As I told you before, I am an absolute seafood fanatic and I love shrimp any way I can get them.  Remember Bubba from the movie Forrest Gump?  Fried shrimp, shrimp dip, shrimp gumbo, shrimp fried rice, shrimp salad, shrimp sandwich, shrimp cocktail, baked shrimp, barbecue shrimp, boiled shrimp—you name it, I love it!  Yep.  It’s like that. 

So why should I deprive myself of something I love so dearly, just because I’m on a diet? Exactly. This delectable dish gives me a way to eat shrimp that totally excites my taste buds without throwing me into dieter’s remorse when I’m done eating. And all I can say to that is YUM!

Argentinian Shrimp Marinara with Linguini

Ingredients:

Makes 3 servings

Quinoa or brown rice linguini or spaghetti

½ teaspoon olive oil

Sea salt to taste

Sauce

2 crushed garlic cloves garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil (not extra virgin)

½ jar Whole Foods 365 Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

2 tablespoons Coconut Secret coconut amines

¼ cup coconut water

1 large basil leaf

½ teaspoon Xylitol (optional)

1 dried bay leaf

Shrimp

1 dozen Trader Joe’s wild caught Argentinian shrimp (thawed & cleaned)

Sea salt and pepper to desired taste

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh basil

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 tablespoon olive oil (not extra virgin)

1 tablespoon ghee

½ bell pepper sliced

½ sweet onion sliced

Directions:

Cook quinoa or brown rice linguini or spaghetti as directed on package.  While pasta is cooking prepare marinara as follows. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add garlic cloves and cook for about 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients in the order shown above.  Bring to a slow boil, turn down the heat, and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove bay and basil leaves.

Gently water-wash shrimp.  Pat dry with paper towel.  In a skillet, heat olive oil and ghee.  Blend basil, oregano, and onion powder in a plastic bag.  Add shrimp and shake the bag to ensure even herb coverage.  Pan sear shrimp in oil/ghee mixture for about 1 ½ minutes on each side or until the shrimp are slightly curled and pink with light golden brown crusting (about 3 to 3 ½ minutes total cook time).  Remove shrimp from skillet and quickly sear bell pepper and onion strips (about 1-2 minutes).

Drain cooked pasta, toss in olive oil, and lightly salt to desired taste (keeping in mind the sauce and shrimp are already seasoned).

To serve, pour the marinara sauce over a serving of pasta, add onions and bell peppers, and top with shrimp.  Drizzle with marinara sauce.

Disclaimer: I'm an amateur cook whose skills were learned from and honed by my mama, an amazing cook of old school southern fare. And because I'm no expert, recipes featured in my blog will NOT include caloric or nutritional information.