Halloween Recipes: Rotted Hair, Brains, and Blood Clots

Oooooohhhhhh   DOLLY!  Halloween COMETH!!!

I've always loved Halloween - the anticipation of wearing your costume, the costume parade at school, going out trick or treating.

As a kid, I would go until my hands and feet nearly froze off.  lol

And my Mom.  She HANDMADE our costumes.  I should see if she can find some pictures from over the years.  It would be awesome to share with you.  Back to my point.  She handmade our costumes and always made them to fit over our winter coats and ski pants - cause that's what we do in Canada - and they were so amazing that the costumes we buy now are terrible compared to her. 

I remember it always being SO COLD (we're talking -20 degrees C here)  and always SO MUCH SNOW.

My parents could barely contain their joy when they decided I was old enough to go by myself with friends.

And the decorations.  People would decorate like CRAZY.  One house I went to had a coffin on the step, and when we got halfway up the coffin SPRANG open and a real person dressed full on MUMMY jumped out!  It was awesome.

And now that I'm older - well, I still love dressing up for Halloween when I can.  I love asking my friends what their kids have decided for their costumes.  I love the calls of "Trick or TREAT!" at my front door.  The littles are always so excited.

Enough about that - let's talk food!

The first recipe I wanted to share with you is Rotted Hair, Brains, and Blood Clots. 

Sounds delicious doesn't it?

It's a popular dish with all the witches and devils. 

Here's what you'll need.

In a large pan (make sure it's big and deep!), heat the olive oil on medium high heat.  The add the garlic.

Add the tomato paste, cook, and add the cherry tomatoes, white wine, water, and red pepper flakes.

Cook the pasta until almost al dente - keep 1/2 cup of the pasta water - and drain the pasta thoroughly.

While the pasta is cooking, add the shrimp to the pan, cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until almost cooked through.

Then throw in the pasta.

And butter.

And lemon zest and lemon juice.  Add in half the reserved pasta water and cook until the pasta is thoroughly coated and the shrimp are cooked through.

Stir in half the basil, serve with additional basil as a garnish.

Be prepared, squid ink pasta isn't like regular pasta - it's much more salty and has a unique taste that's kind of hard to explain.

Lemon, shrimp, and basil complement and brighten the flavour of the pasta.  Keep it simple.

A delicious and simple dish that is even little witch approved!

Though I do have to tell you that when I was talking about this at the gym, my friend's little guy was VERY upset (I was scaring him!  I felt AWFUL)...  I had to run after him in the parking lot to tell him that I was only pretending.  But it definitely left an impression.

I hope your kids aren't making last minute mind changes about their costumes and that they're excited!  Do you think they'll like rotted hair for dinner?

Enjoy!

Squid Ink Linguine with Shrimp and Cherry Tomatoes

12 ounces squid ink linguine

1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 Tablespoons olive oil

4 Tablespoons butter

6 cloves garlic

10 ounces cherry tomatoes

2 lemons

1/2 cup chopped basil

1/3 cup white wine (or dry vermouth)

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil. 
2. Mince the garlic.  Halve the cherry tomatoes.  Zest the lemons to get 2 teaspoons of lemon zest.  Juice the lemons.
3. In a large pan, heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant.
4. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until dark red. 
5. Add the cherry tomatoes, white wine, 1/4 cup water, and red pepper flakes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are cooked and softened - 3 to 5 minutes.
6. Cook the pasta until almost al dente.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta well.
7. While the pasta cooks, add the shrimp to the tomato mixture, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally for 2 to 3 minutes until almost cooked through and opaque.
8. To the shrimp mixture, add the pasta, butter, lemon zest, juice, and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water.  Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes or until the pasta is thoroughly coated and the shrimp are cooked through.  If the sauce seems dry, gradually add the rest of the reserved pasta water to achieve a desired consistency.  Turn off the heat and stir in 1/4 cup of basil.
9. Garnish with remaining basil as desired, and serve.

Source: Platings and Pairings