Caesar Salad with Oven Roasted Shrimp

Roasting shrimp in the oven is a great method for quickly and easily cooking a large batch all at once. It turns a basic Caesar salad into an easy but elegant weeknight dinner.

Have you tried roasting shrimp in the oven yet? If you’re a shrimp lover, you’ve gotta try it. Trust me.

I first saw the method quite some time ago while watching The Barefoot Contessa. The mighty Ina Garten was making her Roasted Shrimp Cocktail and  as soon as I stopped drooling and pulled myself away from the screen, I knew I had to try it. Why is this a great method? First, I love that you can cook a great big batch of shrimp, quickly and all at once. And, second, I love that it’s a hands-off method that allows you to use those precious dinner-time minutes working on the rest of the meal while the shrimp cooks up perfectly in the oven.

Since shrimp Caesar is one of my favorite things to order whenever I see it on a restaurant menu, I decided it was going to happen.

It had to happen!

I’m so glad it happened.

I used frozen, extra large, peeled and deveined shrimp that I thawed overnight in the fridge. After rinsing and draining them well, I pulled off the tails and placed them on a rimmed baking sheet. I roasted an entire 12 ounce bag but you can do more or less, depending on how many you are feeding. Ina just used a drizzle of olive oil and a little salt and pepper but in this recipe I’ve opted to add a little garlic pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to jazz things up a little. Roast the oil coated, seasoned shrimp at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes until they are pink, beautiful, and cooked through. Pull the pan out of the oven toss the shrimp with the juice from half of a fresh lemon.

You can use a bottled Caesar dressing or do yourself a favor and make your own. I recently shared by favorite Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing that is deliciously creamy, briny, garlicky, and super fresh.

Let us not forget the croutons. Oh, no.. it would be a crime to forget the croutons. I like to cook mine till crispy but with a touch of chewiness – delicious and SO much better than the packaged, dry as a bone variety. The directions are below on the printable recipe.

I’m very happy that this is my first recipe of 2015 – the year of the salad. Okay, I just made that up but try this salad! It’s spectacular.

Caesar Salad with Oven Roasted Shrimp

Roasting shrimp in the oven is a great method for quickly and easily cooking a large batch all at once. It turns a basic Caesar salad into an easy but elegant weeknight dinner.

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Course: Salad

Cuisine: American, Italian

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Valerie Brunmeier

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Ingredients

For the Shrimp:

• 12 ounces extra large (26-30 count) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (if frozen, defrost completely according to package directions)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 lemon juiced

For the Croutons:

• 2 cups cubed (1-inch) French bread
• 1 tablespoon butter melted
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan

For the Salad:

• 1 head of Romaine (outer leaves removed), chopped, rinsed, and drained well
• 1/3 cup shaved or grated Parmesan
• Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing (or your favorite store bought brand)

Instructions

• For the Shrimp:Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Rinse shrimp under cold water and remove tails, if necessary. Drain well, pat dry with paper towels and place them on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the shrimp with the olive oil and season with the garlic pepper and salt, to taste. Roast for 8 to 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from oven and toss with fresh lemon juice.
• For the Croutons:Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine the melted butter, olive oil, and garlic powder in a small dish. Place bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with the butter mixture and Parmesan cheese. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until toasted.
• For the Salad:Assemble salad by placing chopped romaine in a large serving bowl. Drizzle with some of the salad dressing and toss well to coat. Add about half the Parmesan and toss again. Top with roasted shrimp, croutons, and remaining Parmesan. Drizzle top of salad with a little additional dressing and serve remaining dressing on the side.

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