PARTNER POST: Dive into the 120 days of summer with Santa Rita wines that pair perfectly with the foods of the season, straight off the grill.
Take the favorite panzanella salad to the grill and add in grilled spiced shrimp and asparagus for an awesome summer meal.
For me, most of my fondest memories growing up revolve around my summers spent at the Jersey Shore. Waking up at 6AM to go crabbing in the bay with friends, slathering on the Coppertone, riding the waves in the ocean all day long, and nights combing the beach for sea glass with my sisters. They’re memories I’ll treasure forever! Now that I’m a grown up, I’m still making memories at the beach. Late nights with friends al fresco dining and enjoying some wonderful wines and cocktails is how we do summer at the BHK. So, it’s time to set the picnic table, fire up the grill, pour the wine and enjoy all that summer has to offer! 
I like to keep the menu on the lighter side during the summer. I may sneak in a creamy sauce here or there, but for the most part it’s light sauces, fresh vegetables, lots of salads and seafood. So today, I’m so excited to be sharing this Grilled Panzanella with Shrimp and Asparagus as part of Santa Rita Wine’s #120DaysofSummer Campaign. It’s one of my favorite grilled summer dinners.
Have you ever tried panzanella? It’s a classic Italian summer salad loaded with tomatoes and crusty, grilled bread tossed in a light vinaigrette. Summer is the perfect time to serve this salad because it’s when tomatoes, peppers and asparagus are in season and at their finest! And today, I upped my Panzanella game by adding some incredibly delicious fresh grilled shrimp to the recipe. I baste the shrimp in a mixture of olive oil, butter, fresh squeezed lemon juice and Badia Complete Seasoning. This seasoning is a flavorful mix of onion, cumin, garlic and herbs. I have to admit some shrimp did not make it from the skewers to the salad because they were just too tasty to resist!
And no summer dinner would be complete without a fabulous wine served alongside. Santa Rita’s 120 Sauvignon Blanc is my wine of choice with this flavorful summer meal. It’s a refreshing, nutty, balanced wine with an awesome blend of citrus and tropical fruits along with herbal notes. It pairs PERFECTLY with a salad and seafood. The wonderful folks at Santa Rita in Chile have been crafting exquisite wines since 1880 with a passion to excel and make your moments with friends and family more enjoyable!
For more grilling inspiration with Santa Rita, check out this grilled Chilean chicken and pebre sauce.
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- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 12 ounce loaf day old ciabatta bread
- oil olive
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes (I use a mix of red and yellow)
- 1 lb. asparagus (ends trimmed, then cut into 2 -inch pieces)
- 1 red bell pepper (cut into strips, then halved)
- 1 small red onion (sliced thin)
- 1 lb. large shrimp peeled and deveined
Basting Sauce for Shrimp:
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil
- 4 Tbsp. butter (melted)
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. Badia Complete Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
Vinaigrette Dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 1 garlic clove (minced)
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium high heat, 350 to 400 degrees.
- Slice bread into 1/2 inch thick slices, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with some kosher salt and pepper. Place bread on grill and grill until bread gets nice grill marks on both sides. Remove bread from grill and rub pieces with garlic clove while still warm. Cut the bread into cubes and set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss the cherry tomatoes, asparagus, red pepper and onion with 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Place vegetables in grill pan and place on grill. Grill for 6 minutes, tossing the tray after about 3 minutes. remove from grill and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 4 Tbsp. olive oil, 4 Tbsp. melted butter, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, Badia seasoning, parsley and garlic.Thread the shrimp onto bamboo skewers that have been soaked in water for 30 minutes to prevent burning. Brush both sides of the shrimp with some of the basting sauce. Place on the grill and grill with the lid down for 2 minutes, then baste with the extra sauce and grill for an additional 2 minutes until pink and cooked though. Remove from grill.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients.
- In a large bowl, toss the bread, grilled vegetables, and shrimp with the dressing. Let the salad sit for 15 minutes to let the dressing soak into the bread. Top with the pine nuts and season to taste with kosher salt and pepper.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main, Side
