I have to say that since I started this whole blogging thing, we have been eating like kings! Don’t get me wrong, I always cooked good food but this new chapter in my life has expanded my repertoire! These Seafood Stuffed Shells with Vodka Sauce are amazing! Even so, I usually still look for a bargain. For instance with this dish, the store I usually shop at does not have good prices on shrimp so I went to a store in the next town over that had shrimp on sale for $5.00 less per pound. So I got a pound of shrimp for $7.00 instead of $15.00 per pound in my local store. You can’t buy most cuts of beef for $7.00 per pound around here.
Saute’ a clove or two of garlic in non- stick frying pan with a few teaspoons olive oil until golden. Add about 1 pound of peeled, deveined shrimp and saute’ just until starting to turn pink.
As the first side turns pink, flip them and then remove almost immediately, depending on the size of your shrimp.
Remove to a bowl and set aside.
Asparagus pairs so well with seafood, I decided to use asparagus.
I ran it through the food processor and really wasn’t too happy with the outcome. They were nice pretty rounds at first but then turned sideways and made those longer strands. Since that happened, next time I will hand chop them just for uniformity.
Saute’ the asparagus in the same pan the shrimp were sauteed in for a few minutes just to start the cooking process.
Chop the shrimp into bite-sized pieces.
Clean the crabs watching for shell or cartilage fragments. Then chop into bite-sized pieces.
To make the vodka sauce, saute’ a few cloves of garlic with a bit of olive oil in a medium saucepan.
Add the Vodka. Most importantly, take care of any flames that may ignite the vodka!! Your best bet is to remove the pot from the heat and then pour vodka in.
Add cashew milk, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a low simmer for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle.
Add about 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.
Chop about 1 tablespoon each parsley and basil. Add the herbs to the sauce and remove the sauce from the heat.
Once the asparagus has cooled, add it to the seafood.
Pour about 1/2 c. sauce into a 4″ x 8″ baking pan.
Prepare the shells according to the package directions. Drain shells and fill with seafood mixture. Top the shells with the sauce and bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes, just until they are hot.
Serve with additional sauce and asparagus. Enjoy! Love Seafood and pasta? Check out this Seafood Fra Diavolo!
Seafood Stuffed Shells with Vodka Sauce
Ingredients
For Shells
- 4-6 jumbo shells cooked according to package directions, drained
- 1/2 lb shrimp any size, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 lb crab meat cleaned
- 2 cloves garlic
- Olive Oil
- 1 bunch small asparagus
For Sauce
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 c vodka
- 2 c cashew milk
- 28 oz can tomato sauce
- 16 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 c Parmesan cheese
- 1 Tbsp fresh basil chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
For the Shells
- In a large pot, boil water for shells.
- In a saute' pan, heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Saute' garlic just until fragrant. Add shrimp and saute' just until beginning to turn pink. Flip the shrimp and saute' the second side about half the time you sauteed the first side for. (Depending on the size of your shrimp a minute or less.)
- Immediately remove from pan and set aside to cool.
- Slice asparagus into about 1/4 inch pieces, crosswise.
- Saute' asparagus in the same pan the shrimp was sauteed in for 4 or 5 minutes, until they begin to turn tender. Set aside to cool.
- Once the asparagus has cooled, mix asparagus and seafood together.
For the Sauce
- Saute' the garlic over medium high heat in a medium saucepan until golden brown.
- Carefully add vodka. It's best to temporarily remove the pan from the heat. If vodka flames, have the cashew milk ready to pour over the flames to extinguish.
- Add the tomato sauce and the crushed tomatoes about bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 10 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle.
- Stir in the Parmesan and the herbs and remove from heat.
- Place about 1/2 cup of the sauce on the bottom of a 4" x 8" baking dish.
To assemble
- Fill the drained shells with the seafood mixture.
- Place the stuffed shells on the sauce and bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes, just until hot.
- Serve with more Vodka Sauce and more asparagus on the side.
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Nutrition
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Originally Published 4/11/2016
Donna Gaul
Wow! I’ve never made vodka sauce before! This looks so easy!
Binky
It really is so easy Donna, you should give it a try sometime!