Shrimp Puttanesca, one of my favorite dinners

Shrimp puttanesca is a quick easy one skillet meal that I can usually throw together with pantry items if I have the frozen shrimp on hand.  It is also one of my hubby's favorite dinners because he loves the a meal with a kick.  It is a spicy dish from the red pepper flakes so if you don't like the heat, reduce the red pepper flakes but beware, without them it will not be the same dish. 

Since my basil plant is doing fabulous I have a ton of basil on hand but don’t worry if you don’t have fresh basil, it is just as good without it.

Beyond being one of my favorite home made dishes, I label this dish as a "good for company" dish, meaning it is good enough for company.  It is not that everything I make isn't good for company but some dishes are just more impressive.  Original recipe came from Slow Cooker Casseroles and One Dish Meals, pg 158.

 

SPICY SHRIMP PUTTANESCA

Sauté:

1 onion (1 C.), finely chopped

1 T. olive oil

Boil:

6-8 oz. whole wheat linguine or spaghetti

Slice veggies and set aside:

¼ C. (15) pitted kalamata olives, chopped

¼ C. (15 leaves) fresh basil, chopped

Sauté:

16 frozen peeled and deveined medium shrimp 

4 t. (4 cloves) garlic, minced or grated

½ t. red pepper flakes

Add:

1 can (14.5 oz.) stewed tomatoes, undrained, cut up in can

3 T. tomato paste

1 T. capers, drained

 

Put pot on to boil.  Chop onions.  In a large 2" deep fry pan, drizzled with EVOO, sauté onions over medium-low heat until translucent about 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile cook pasta according to package directions in boiling salted water. Drain and set aside or if timing permits leave in water till you add to sauce.

Rinse shrimp to remove ice crystals, peal and pull off tails while running underwater (if using frozen). The tails will easily pull off. Slice olives, and scissor cut basil.

Add shrimp, garlic and red pepper flakes to translucent onions; cook and stir 5 additional minutes or until shrimps are starting to turn opaque on one side.

Cut up stewed tomatoes in can with scissors, add to pan along with tomato paste, olives and capers; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Add pasta and basil, stir 1 minute. Makes 3-4 servings.

Note:  Freeze leftover tomato paste in sandwich bags in 1 T. servings.  Tie bags in a knot and place all bags in a single zip top bag.

Variations: 

• Use a basil flavored olive oil for additional flavor.
• Add a roasted eggplant to the sauce.  Once roasted you can scoop it out of the skin and it will break down and disappear into the sauce.  It doesn't add additional flavor only nutrition.
• Add 2-3 cups broccoli florets to pasta water last five minutes.
• Add scallops, if frozen rinse like you did the shrimp.