Dexter's Mediterranean Pasta Toss

Submitted by Danielle W

"Copied this from another site: http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2010-06-09/features/os-thot-dexters-pasta-recipe-20100609_1_teaspoon-fresh-pesto-ounces-crumbled-feta-cheese-toss"

 

• Ready In: 35mins
• Ingredients: 15
• Serves: 1

ingredients

• 9 (26 -30 count) shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel
• 1 ounce butter
• 1 ounce extra virgin olive oil
• 4 quartered artichoke hearts (trim any chewy or stringy tops)
• 6 black kalamata olives
• 2 ounces fresh tomatoes, diced
• 3 ounces chicken stock or 3 ounces broth
• 2 ounces white wine
• 1 teaspoon fresh pesto sauce
• 5 ounces capellini pasta, cooked al dente and tossed with olive oil while warm
• 20 leaves washed fresh spinach
• 1 -2 ounce crumbled feta cheese
• salt, and or freshly ground pepper

directions

1. 1. Heat sauté pan to medium hot. Season shrimp with salt and pepper and fennel. To pan, add butter and shrimp. Sauté until spices are singed. They should be a little brown and nutty. Add the garlic and toss. Add the artichokes, olives, tomatoes and another pinch of salt and pepper. Do not toss ingredients. Immediately refresh pan with the white wine to let the wine absorb the seasonings and cook the garlic. Toss ingredients and let alcohol cook off and reduce in volume by half. Add chicken broth to moisten.
2. 2. Add pesto, tossing until ingredients are evenly coated, then throw in pasta and heat everything back up.
3. 3. Just before plating add spinach. Toss again and when spinach is wilted, plate immediately. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top.
4. Chef's note: You can sub out the shrimp for chunks of chicken or sauté the dish without meat. Recipe can be multiplied for more people, but this dish really works the best when sautéed in a hot pan for one person.