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450-g pkg spaghetti or spaghettini pasta, about a 2-in. bunch
500 g cooked medium shrimp, peeled
2 leeks
1 green bell pepper
1/2 cup pimento-stuffed green olives
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp capers, drained
1 tsp dried basil, or dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, optional
750-mL jar tomato sauce
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add pasta. Cook according to package directions, about 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, if using frozen shrimp, do not thaw. Place in a sieve and rinse under cold running water until ice crystals are melted. Pat dry with paper towels. Clean leeks by cutting in half lengthwise. Then cut off and discard all tough parts of green leaves. Fan out remaining pale green and white leaves and rinse under cold running water to remove any grit. Then slice leeks into 1/2-inch (1-cm) pieces. Core and seed pepper, then slice into 1/4-inch- (0.5-cm-) wide strips. Slice olives in half.
Heat oil in a large wide saucepan set over medium heat. When hot, add leeks. Stir often until leeks start to soften, about 2 minutes. Stir in pepper, olives and capers. Stir in basil and fennel seeds, if using. Pour in sauce. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up and stir in any brown bits from pan bottom for added flavour. Bring sauce to a boil, stirring often. Stir in shrimp and cook just until heated through, about 2 minutes. Taste, then add more seasonings, if needed. Drain pasta well. Stir hot pasta into sauce until evenly coated. Serve immediately with garlic bread.
Calories 355, Protein 20.6g, Carbohydrates 54.2g, Fat 5.9g, Fibre 5.6g, Sodium 963mg.
Try this elegant dish next time you're entertaining. We've jazzed it up with a few olives, capers and luscious juicy shrimp.