Spaghetti with Eggplant, Butternut Squash and Shrimp

I saw Giada De Laurentis whip this dish up on TV around Halloween time. She commented that the orange of the butternut squash and shrimp, as well as the black of the eggplant, along with the fresh orange-colored pasta she used made it look scary. I didn't think so, but I did think that the dish looked good--good enough for me to want to make. I was having my parents and brother over for dinner so I thought I'd try something new with them. The name of the dish says all about what goes into it, as you can see here. The recipe called for Japanese eggplant, but since I couldn't find any, I used the regular kind that you can find at any grocery store. Then there's the vibrant butternut squash (my favorite kind of squash), the large shrimp (my favorite seafood), garlic and onions.

Overall, I thought the dish was just okay and not anything to rave about. My family said it was good, but they didn't take too well to all the vegetables in it since they're used to some kind of meaty marinara sauce. Basically, what I had left when everyone had their serving was a dish full of noodles, eggplant, and squash. The shrimp was the biggest hit of the evening, although I must say that the butternut squash was wonderfully sweet. Needless to say, I don't think I'll be making this dish for a while. I think I'm more likely to use marinara sauce in the dish next time to give it more flavor, but I'm not so sure the combination will work well. Oh yeah...and I think I'd eliminate the eggplant. The squishiness kind of got to me. I don't know, we'll see. But hey, if you're curious and would like to give this a try go ahead. You might like what you get!

Spaghetti with Eggplant, Butternut Squash and Shrimp

(Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentis)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 small butternut squash, peeoled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 5 cups)

1 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled

1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 1/4 cups dry white whine

2 cups fish broth, fresh or frozen, or canned vegetable broth

2 pounds uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Salt and pepper

17.5 oz. orange-colored fresh spaghetti or linguine

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1. Heat the oil in a heavy large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for just a minute. Add the squash, eggplant, rosemary, and thyme and saute for 8 to 10 minutes.


2. Add the wine and broth and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer until the squash is tender and the liquid is reduced by about half, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.


3. Add the shrimp and simmer gently until almost cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but firm to the bite, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta (alternatively, you can use dried pasta which will take 8 to 10 minutes to cook).


5. Toss the pasta, squash mixture and butter in a large bowl until the liquid thickens. Serve and enjoy!