Shrimp Scampi Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower

I love this dish. I love that it was super easy to make. I love that it was delicious, filling, and felt fancy.  I love that I spent less than $10 on a meal for the husband and I.

The shrimp scampi portion of this dish is from the simply wonderful Simply Recipes.  This part can't be any easier to make.  Defrost some frozen shrimp, heat up some butter and olive oil, add garlic and red pepper flakes, add shrimp and white wine, and let wine cook out. After the wine cooks out, you are done. I wanted to make sure that we used good, fresh butter so I picked up some KerryGold Garlic and Herb Butter from the store.  Because the butter had garlic, we didn't end up adding any garlic to the dish which was a mistake. The KerryGold Garlic and Herb butter was delicious but both of us noted that the dish could have used a bit more garlic. So toss in some minced up garlic no matter what. It was important to me that we used good, fresh butter because nothing ruins a dish more than using butter that has been sitting in the fridge and is tainted with the aroma of other food.

The roasted cauliflower could not have worked any better mixed up with the pasta and the shrimp.  Since we have been trying to cut back on our pasta intake and up our vegetable intake, roasted cauliflower has been a bit of a savior. It is delicious without over-powering a dish and it blends in well with simple pasta dishes.  I love roasting the cauliflower until the edges burn a bit. The cauliflower gets sweet which pairs great with the savory flavors of the shrimp scampi.

How did we make this dish for under $10, you ask?  All items were purchased at Harris Teeter and pretty much all on sale. The frozen shrimp was on sale for 50% off and we only used half a bag.  The KerryGold Butter was on sale for $1 per stick.  The Dreamfields low-carb pasta was $2.79 for a box and we cooked up 1/3 of it. The cauliflower was $2.99.  The parsley was from my herb garden and the white wine was a gift from a friend.  

Shrimp Scampi Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower

1 head of Cauliflower

Canola oil (we use canola oil spray)

1 pound large shrimp, shelled

2 tablespoons olive oil 

6 tablespoons of KerryGold butter 

Salt 

1 Tbsp minced garlic 1/2  

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

1/2 cup white wine 

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley 

Cooked Spaghetti

Freshly ground black pepper to taste 

Heat oven to 350F.  Cut up cauliflower into 1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces and place on cookie sheet.  Coat with a spray of canola oil and place in hot oven.  Roast for 20 minutes. Stir cauliflower around and then roast for another 20-35 minutes or until the edges of the cauliflower have browned. Turn off oven and open up the oven to let some of the heat out.  Close oven and keep cauliflower warm in the oven until the pasta is ready.

Defrost shrimp and pat dry.  Heat up olive oil in a skillet (medium heat) and add butter.  Once the butter starts to foam, add the minced garlic and the red pepper flakes.  Cook for about two minutes or until the garlic browns a bit.  Add the shrimp and cook until pink.  Add white wine and cook on high for 3 minutes. Flip shrimp and cook for another minute. Toss in chopped up parsley.  Place cooked spaghetti in a platter and pour shrimp and liquids on top. Add roasted cauliflower. Salt and pepper to taste and toss everything together. Enjoy.