Roasted Chili Shrimp Scampi

Sometimes, I want my food to be fancy - and other times, I want it to be quick & easy. Almost always, I want the food I make to be healthy - because when I feed my body with good foods, I feel better. 

Thankfully, this Roasted Chili Shrimp Scampi checks all of those boxes. 😉

I was inspired by an incredible Calabrian Shrimp Scamp dish that I had at RPM Italian (side note - they have gluten-free pasta which made me SO happy because I was craving pasta!). It was filled with the perfect flavors of sun-dried Calabrian chilis - which I could NOT find pre-packaged - so I attempted to make a copycat Calabrian Shrimp Scampi at home with what I had. 

The basis of this dish is roasted red chili pepper paste - it’s sweet, smoky, and spicy without being too hot all at once. And of course, there’s a healthy serving of garlic in it (because honestly, what dish isn’t better with more garlic?).

I used Banza Spaghetti (made from chickpeas) for the pasta. If you’ve tried whole-grain, gluten-free or “healthified” pasta in the past and found it to be chewy or dry - give it another shot with Banza. (Not sponsored, it’s just my new go-to when I’m in need of some gluten-free noodles. 😋)

Lastly - cooking has always been my happy place, but I found that when I get too tedious about writing down exact measurements, it throws my whole game off. I have so much more fun when I cook like I’m used to - throwing in a handful here and a pinch there, adding more as I go. So, if you use the below recipe and feel you need more of “this” or less of “that”.

Roasted Chili Shrimp Scampi

Serves 2

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 - 3/4 lb raw shrimp

• 5 cloves garlic, sliced

• 1/4 onion, diced

• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

• 2 tbsp Roasted Red Chili Paste*

• 3 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil**

• 1/2 cup marinara sauce

• 2 TBSP sun-dried tomato paste

• 1/2 poblano pepper (optional)

• Himalayan Sea Salt & Pepper to taste

• 1/2 package of Banza Spaghetti (or more if you love noodles!)

Directions:

1. Boil salted water in a large pot for spaghetti noodles; cook noodles as you’re preparing the shrimp (8-10 minutes).

2. Saute poblano peppers (if using) & onions in half of the olive oil over medium heat for several minutes. Add in garlic and sauté until fragrant.  

3. Add in roasted red chili paste & mix well.

4. Add in shrimp & sprinkle red pepper flakes on top.

5. Saute shrimp until they’re almost fully cooked (or when they star to curl up).

6. Add in marinara, sun-dried tomato paste, remaining olive oil, and salt & pepper to taste.

7. Top noodles with shrimp + sauce. Enjoy!

*Because there’s not too much sugar in this paste (for reference, it has the same amount of sugar as ketchup), I was okay using it. However, if you’re strictly following a specific diet, you can always make your own and use coconut sugar or date syrup as a substitute for the sugar. 

**I use olive oil in this recipe because I love the flavor, and because I use medium heat, it doesn’t pass the smoke point (374). You can certainly use avocado oil if you prefer!