Spaghetti with Olives, Spinach, and Shrimp
This recipe for Penne Vodka is for more than just your 4 person serving. So often recipes are for 2-4 or 4-6. This will give you a good 6-8, which means Sunday dinner is a go! This recipe was handed down to us by a family friend. Her secret was to use a ton of fresh basil. Which is not in most recipes. However, this is my families favorite version!
Penne Vodka for Crowd
ingredients
1l bs spaghetti or bucatini cooked according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water!
4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup olives, roughly chopped ( I used a greek olive mix, pitted)
1 lb fresh or thawed medium size shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup wine
1 lemon , freshly squeezed (keep rind to zest for garnish)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped
instructions
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 3 tbsp of butter. Add garlic and saute for a minute, until fragrant.
Then add the olives, gently stir and saute for another two minutes,
Then add the shrimp to the pan and cook until they turn pink on both sides. About 3-4 minutes. Then remove the shrimp from the pan and reserve.
Meanwhile, Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti to just under al dente. Reserve about 1/2 of a cup of the pasta water, then drain and set aside.
Add the white wine to the pan with the olives. Scrape up anything from the bottom of the pan and let it simmer for a couple of minutes until it reduces down. About 3-4 minutes.
Add in the pasta water, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Stir gently to combine. Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss to coat.
Then add in the spinach and toss until wilted. Once the spinach is wilted add in the shrimp along with 1 more tablespoon of butter. Turn off the heat and toss to coat.
Grate lemon zest on top of the pasta if desired and serve immediately.
Then fold in the pasta to coat. Serve with another sprinkle of basil and Parmesan cheese.
RECIPE NOTES: If you find the pasta sucks up a lot of the water or becomes dry it is okay to add a little bit of olive oil! Remember to adjust salt and pepper according to your taste. Also adding crushed red pepper is a great option!