Shrimp with Noodles and Warm Tomato Salad

Guess what, friends?  M has one more week of class!  He presented his thesis the other night so that's done.  I was so glad to get that thesis out of our lives.  I will be honest, I did a happy dance on Wednesday morning.  There will be another happy dance next week.  Since I am in a good mood, let's talk about shrimp. I love shrimp. Shrimp scampi is one of my favorite dishes and I like to try different variations of it so I made one.

This is a very tasty summer dish.  This one is definitely different but it was so good.  I loaded it with fresh veggies.  It has a warm tomato and onion salad on  the top.  Yum!!  I love tomato and onion salad.  And I used fresh basil from my little herb box.  Yes, I am growing herbs - basil, thyme, and parsley.  Although the parsley isn't doing very well.  Sigh.  But I am growing cherry tomatoes too and they are finally red.  Sadly, my own homegrown tomatoes were not used in this recipe but it was tasty nonetheless.

Shrimp with Noodles and Warm Tomato Salad

Adapted from Every Day with Rachael Ray August 2010

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

a handful of fresh parsley, chopped

10 basil leaves, thinly sliced into ribbons

1/4 red onion, minced

extra virgin olive oil

1 lb shrimp, fresh or frozen

1 bag egg noodles or other pasta

1 garlic clove, minced

half a bag of baby spinach

grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 325.  Place the tomatoes cut side up on the baking sheet.  Place in the oven and roast for about 20 minutes. 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Salt generously and cook the noodles according to package directions.

While the noodles are cooking and the tomatoes are roasting, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat with the garlic.  Once the garlic has become fragrant, add the shrimp in a single layer.  Cook on each side until pink; about 5-6 minutes total. 

Reserve a cup of the noodle/pasta water before you drain it.  Add the noodles to the skillet with the garlic.  Add some of the reserved noodle/pasta water and toss together.  Add the spinach and wilt it in.  Add as much grated cheese as you like and toss everything together.  If it still looks a little dry to you, add some more of the reserved noodle/pasta water.

Remove the tomatoes from the oven and put into a bowl.  Add the parsley, basil, and onion.  Season with salt and pepper and toss with a drizzle of olive oil.  Serve this warm tomato salad on top of the shrimp noodles.  Top with more cheese, if desired.