Creamy Penne with Shrimp and Broccoli

This post is sponsored by Parrano Cheese. Thank you for supporting the brands that make A Thought For Food possible.

These last couple of weeks have been pretty packed. Eric and I went down to New Jersey at the beginning of the month to see my family. Most of our visits tend to be centered around holidays or birthdays, but for this trip we just went down to spend a few days with everyone and it made for a more relaxing stay. My parents even took us out to a great Mediterranean restaurant in Montclair called MishMish Cafe, where we got to eat some of the best pita and hummus I've had outside of Israel. A really fantastic and cozy spot that I can't wait to return to. When we got back, I immediately jumped into a variety of photo shoots... restaurants, events, and a cookbook. I know at some point I'll able to take a breath, but, for now, I'm just tearing through all this work. 

The weather has been so weird lately, with drastic fluctuations in temperature occurring daily. But apparently my body doesn't care about any of that because it's craving all the comfort foods. Roasted squash and soups and pasta. Lots and lots of pasta. I want it all the time. Now, I have some will power (very little, but some) and, so, I try to refrain from making it too often. However, when I do, I like to go big.  So, in working with Parrano cheese, I knew I wanted to use it for a wonderful, rich sauce. I grew up an Alfredo sauce lover and, in many ways, this is what this dish reminds me of. It's got the same salty and nutty notes of a Parmesan, but it's super creamy too. The pairing of the shrimp and broccoli make it feel a bit more substantial (and give it some nice color). And there's the finishing touches of cracked black pepper and fresh parsley that takes it beyond a decadent plate and round out the flavors. It's a simple recipe that comes together rather easily (everything cooks at the same time and can be tossed together in a bowl... which is my idea of the perfect dish).

To see where you can get your hands on some Parrano (so you can make this pizza), check out their store locator. 

Creamy Penne with Roasted Shrimp and Broccoli (Featuring Parrano Cheese)

Ingredients

For the cheese sauce
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
2 cups finely grated Parrano Cheese
Garlic Powder
Salt 

For the roasted shrimp and broccoli
1 large head broccoli, about 1 pound, cut into small florets
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Olive oil
Salt
1 lb boxed penne, cooked

Fresh cracked black pepper
Fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a mixing bowl, toss broccoli and shrimp with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with 2 teaspoons salt. Spread across baking sheet and place in oven. Cook for 16 minutes, taking it out half way through to give it a stir.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour. Once combined with butter, add 1 cup milk and whisk until dissolved. Whisk Parrano Cheese into milk mixture. Once smooth, lower heat to a simmer. Season with garlic powder and salt. Keep warm until ready to use.

In a serving bowl, toss cooked penne with sauce. Mix in roasted broccoli and shrimp. Transfer to a platter or bowl and season with fresh cracked black pepper and chopped parsley.

Silent Sunday: Island Creek Oyster Farm (Duxbury, MA)

Click here to view more Silent Sunday posts! And to see more of my food and beverage photography, head on over to my portfolio site. 

Island Creek Oyster Farm
Duxbury, MA
http://islandcreekoysters.com/

 

Roasted Acorn Squash with Quinoa Stuffing

I went back and forth about what to write here today. Do I talk about all the stuff that's going on in our lives... the work, the house projects, our upcoming travels? Do I talk about the presidential election? Or the weather, which has been pretty fall-like recently (though today it's in the 70s and feels like summer... what's the deal with that)? I'm a little too tired to talk about any of these things, so I'm going to stick with this recipe (I'm sure you'll hear more from me about all of those other topics later on). This is one of those recipes that just popped up out of nowhere. I usually neglect winter squash when we get it from our food-coop, but for some reason I decided to put in the oven immediately. I made a mad rush to see what we had to pair with it and, thankfully, found all the ingredients for a quick filling. This is one of those dishes that makes the house smell wonderful, with those sweet, nutty aromas from the baking squash and the scent of sautéed onion and garlic and rosemary simmering on the stove. I'd forgotten just how delicious roasted squash can be. It's a recipe I'll be returning to again quite a few times this winter. 

Roasted Acorn Squash with Quinoa Stuffing

Yield
2 servings

Ingredients
For the roasted acorn squash
1 acorn squash, tops trimmed and the squash cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed
Olive oil
Salt

For the Quinoa Stuffing
1/2 cup red quinoa
1 cup veggie broth
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 lb white button mushrooms, stems removed and sliced thinly
3 celery stalks, sliced
1 small white onion, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
2 teaspoons parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon
Olive oil
Salt
Black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Rub squash with olive oil and season generously with salt. Place, cut side down, on the pan bake for 30 minutes, until fork tender and golden brown. 

While the squash is roasting, prepare the quinoa. Add the veggie broth to a pot and bring to a boil.  Stir in the quinoa, cover and reduce heat to medium low.  Simmer until all the veggie broth has been absorbed, approximately 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet set over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms, chopped celery, and chopped rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Add quinoa to the mixing bowl with the cooked vegetables. Stir to combine. Add dried cranberries, parsley, and lemon zest. Stir to combine. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.  

Spoon filling into the cut side of the acorn squash.