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Prep time
1 hour
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Cook time
35 minutes
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Serves
6
Author Notes
When I was designing this recipe, I decided to confine myself to a flavor profile that I knew balanced well together but that I had limited experience with: Middle Eastern flavors. Although shrimp is not the first meat that comes to mind when thinking of Middle Eastern food (lamb and beef kebabs are more common), fish is consumed, especially in the coastal areas, and is becoming more popular. While I don’t make any claims to the authenticity of this dish, it was really fun to stretch my mind and use flavors that I’m not as familiar with! Don’t be scared off by the long list of instructions; it looks like a lot of work but all the steps are quick and easy. While it definitely does not remind me of any middle eastern dish I’ve ever eaten, the sauce is extremely flavorful and every ingredient stands out and yet it all goes very well together. —Risa B
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Ingredients
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1
small eggplant (1/2 pound), peeled and cut into 3/4 inch dice
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1.5 pounds
summer squash, cut into 3/4 inch dice
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4
cloves garlic, half minced, half rough chopped
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1/4 cup
vegetable oil
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4 teaspoons
kosher salt, divided
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15 ounces
chickpeas, drained
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3 tablespoons
extra virgin olive oil, divided
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1/4 teaspoon
ground cumin
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1/2 teaspoon
ground coriander
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1 pound
frozen large easy peel shrimp, thawed then peeled and deveined
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1/2 teaspoon
sumac
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1 teaspoon
dried thyme
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1/4 teaspoon
pepper
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1
lemon, juiced
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1/2 cup
tahini
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1 cup
plain greek yogurt
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1 teaspoon
honey
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1/4 cup
chopped flat leaf parsley
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1 pound
spaghetti, cooked until al dente, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water
Directions
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Combine the eggplant and squash in a colander, season liberally with 2 tsp salt and let drain at least 15 min
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Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over med-hi and cook squash for 5 min, tossing frequently
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After 10 min, add minced garlic and continue to cook until the squash is very brown and softened but the garlic is not burned
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Remove the vegetables from the pan to a bowl (leaving the oil)
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Preheat the oven to 450°F
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Toss chickpeas, 1 Tbsp olive oil, cumin, and coriander together and distribute on a baking sheet
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Roast for 30 min, tossing occasionally, until the chickpeas are browned and slightly dried out
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Toss peeled shrimp with 1 Tbsp olive oil, sumac, thyme, 1 tsp salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and marinate at least 5 min
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Cook the shrimp in the leftover eggplant oil over medium heat, turning once and removing when just cooked, ~5 min
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Remove shrimp to same bowl as eggplant and add 1/2 lemon juice
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Use an immersion blender to puree tahini, yogurt, chopped garlic, remaining lemon juice, honey, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt until smooth
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Add pasta cooking water to achieve desired consistency – you will want it to easily pour over the pasta. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt.
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Toss the pasta with 1 cup of the sauce and add additional pasta water until it is smoothly coated
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Serve the pasta topped with squash, shrimp, chickpeas, parsley, and more sauce
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