Jamie Oliver's Spaghetti with Shrimp and Arugula

Dear Jess,

I have been thinking about you a lot lately. I miss you. I am so excited for our upcoming adventures on the 3rd.

Jason has been wanting pasta for about the last... 14 months. I don't eat a lot of pasta because I find it too heavy. So when I was craving spaghetti I ripped open my copy of Jamie Oliver Italy and scoped the pasta pages for inspiration.

I found: Spaghetti con Gamberetti e Rucola (Spaghetti with Shrimp and Arugula). I think any recipe where I get to cook with alcohol is my favourite. There's something about the aroma that jumps out of the pan at you... there is just nothing else like it. So when you add some sun-dried tomatoes, hot peppers, shrimp, garlic, lemon and fresh arugala to white wine... mmmmmmmmmm.

Spaghetti con Gamberetti e Rucola
From Jamie's Italy
1 lb. dried spaghetti
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1-2 dried red chilies, crumbled
1 lb. peeled raw large shrimp (If you're using frozen, make sure they are completely thawed)
1 small wineglass of white wine
2 heaping tbsps sun-dried tomato puree, or 6 sun-dried tomatoes blitzed in a blender
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 handfuls of arugala, roughly chopped (I used way more than this)

Cook your spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the package instructions. Meanwhile, heat 3 good glugs of extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan and toss in the garlic and chili. As the garlic begins to color, add the shrimp and saute them for a minute. Add the white wine and the tomato puree and simmer for a couple of minutes. When the pasta is ready, drain it in a colander, reserving a little of the cooking water. Toss the spaghetti with the sauce, squeeze in the lemon juice, and add half the chopped arugula, using a little of the reserved cooking water if you want to loosen the sauce a bit, and correct the seasoning. Divide between four places and sprinkle with the grated lemon zest and the rest of the arugula leaves.

As I am always saying: I love you and miss you and can't wait to see you.

So much Love,

Girl's Night

Dear Jess,

It was so amazing to be able to hang out with you and Jesse last weekend. Jason and I had an amazing time, and concur with Jesse when he says 'I wish they lived closer.' You and I are tremendously blessed with each other. I can't wait to see where the next few years take us!

Tonight's dinner came from a few things. I was sitting at the office thinking of what to make for a 'girl's night' dinner with my friend Alicia. We hadn't had a night with just us in far too long, and she has this adorable, cozy apartment where we planned to snuggled down and watch the first disc of the first season of Friends.

You know those recipes in the BBC Good Food Magazines where they only use 5 ingredients to make a delicious, healthy dinner? I absolutely love that. So, I thought back to what is in my pantry and got really excited when I remembered that I have two huge Costco jars full of Sun-dried Tomatoes! I Googled Sun-dried Tomatoes and found this website devoted entirely to this simple, little, tasty treat.

This recipe was adapted from a simple pasta dish they had. I just added one or two things. The combination of the Sausage, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Basil is mind blowing. It leaves you extremely satisfied, and excited for leftovers the next day.

Sun-dried Tomato Pasta
(serves 3-4)
2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3/4 package whole wheat spaghetti
2 Italian Sausages
7-10 large sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 large container of spinach
3 cloves garlic, minced
fresh basil
Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to the box instructions. In the last minute, dump in all your spinach to blanch. Strain.

2. Meanwhile, take sausage out of its casing. Break up in a skillet on medium to medium/high heat. Cook until no longer pink.

3. Add Sausage, Sun-dried tomatoes, Garlic, Basil and Parmesan Cheese to the noodels and spinach. If you find it is too dry, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

4. Serve!

I am very excited to hear what opportunities come your way in the next few months. You are always in my prayers. I love you, and can't wait for our next get-together!


So much Love,
Sally