Shrimp & Puttanesca-Style Tomato Sauce

Fill a large pot with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut off and discard the stems of the peppers; remove the cores. Halve the peppers lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. Thinly slice the scallions, separating the white bottoms and hollow green tops. Using the flat side of your knife, smash the olives to release the pits. Discard the pits, then roughly chop the olives. In a bowl, combine the chopped olives, tomatoes, oregano, capers, verjus, and as much of the red pepper flakes as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Season with salt and pepper. 

Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes, or until al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot.

While the pasta cooks, pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the sliced peppers and white bottoms of the scallions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the sauce (carefully, as the liquid may splatter); season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Arrange the prepared shrimp in an even layer on top of the sauce; season with salt and pepper. Loosely cover the pan with foil. Cook, without stirring, 2 to 3 minutes, or until the shrimp are slightly opaque. Remove the foil and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through. Turn off the heat. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired.

To the pot of cooked pasta, add the cooked shrimp and sauce and butter. Stir to combine. Serve the finished shrimp and pasta garnished with the cheese and sliced green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!