Spaghetti with Olives and Shrimp, Sicilian Style

Serves 4

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons capers, roughly chopped
1 pound large shrimp, peeled
10 green olives, roughly chopped
10 black olives, roughly chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
1 pound spaghetti
Sauce
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch Kosher salt
Pinch sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce

Directions:
Add oil to a large frying pan on medium heat.  When hot, add onion, garlic and capers, cook until lightly golden, about 7-9 minutes.

Add the shrimp and olives and cook for 2-3 minutes until the shrimp turns just pink.

Add the wine, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and cook on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until the wine has reduced.  Remove the pan from the stove and set aside.

In another pan, place the oil and minced garlic and cook on medium-low until the garlic is barely golden.  Add the tomato sauce, salt, sugar, and oregano and let cook about 10 minutes.  Taste for seasoning, and adjust if needed.

Combine the tomato sauce in with he shrimp sauce and cook to warm about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil the spaghetti in a large pan filled with water and add salt.  Cook according to package directions or until al dente. Drain and transfer the pasta to the pan with the sauce and shrimp.  Mix gently and serve immediately.  Sprinkle with freshly chopped basil or Italian parsley.

An incredible simple summer dish that can be made with items right out of the pantry, with just enough spicy and sweet flavors!

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My New Year's Eve Menu

After the hussle and bussle of the Christmas holidays, I like to prepare a quiet dinner for four with my husband and our best friends, John and Janie for New Year's Eve.  We make our favorite dishes and eat them one by one until the strike of midnight or even beyond.  We listen to our favorite music while cooking and eating, drink Prosecco with Cassis and Pomegranate seeds,and have good wine to pair with each course.This year we decided on simple and tasty seafood recipes to celebrate the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013.  I didn't prepare these dishes from recipes, I love to create them, and get instant feedback from my little group.  Once created and tasted, I them write the recipes.
I'm still writing these recipes, so stay tuned for them on my blog.

Here are some of  the pictures of recipes prepared for our New Year's Eve menu:

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Shrimp with Orange and Marsala Wine

Saute shrimp with Marsala Wine

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pound large shrimp, peeled with tails on
Salt and ground black pepper
Pinch red pepper flakes
Zest and juice 1 orange
1/3 cup Marsala wine

Directions:Add the oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the shrimp until they turn pink.  Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Add the Marsala wine, orange zest and juice, and reduced by half, about 1-2 minutes.  Serve with rice, potatoes or polenta.

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The sweetest of the Marsalawine with the orange zest, gives a special flavor to this shrimp dish. You can serve this dish as an entrée or appetizer. Be sure the shrimp is dry before you sauté. Sautéed wet shrimp dilutes the sauce and does not allow the shrimp to caramelized properly for best taste.

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