Last week we made our first trip out to our new apartment to transport my most precious cargo: my pantry. Aside from the most stripped down essentials (almond butter, tahini, basmati rice, cumin seeds, tomato sauce, red wine vinegar, tuna, tinned beans, olive oil, salt, pepper) my stash of dried legumes and beans, grains, spices, nuts, superfoods, oils, vinegars and baking supplies were the first to settle in, and I have to say they are looking great in the new shelves and cupboards. I am quite enjoying this challenge to cook in a paired down, resourceful fashion, and it’s the perfect season to do so since the joy in fresh produce is that you don’t have to do much to it.
This recipe however relies on the things that I do have access to: the briney habitants of my fridge (anchovies, capers), my freezer stash of frozen protein (in this case, shrimp) and sourdough bread bags with the ends of loafs, and my bare bones pantry shelf (containing the aforementioned tomato sauce and can of beans) – oh and how could I forget the red onion half and fennel bulb that were shriveling in my crisper! Mix them all together and you have this dispatches namesake. This dish is obviously delicious since it’s a puttanesca riff, but it’s also a nutritional win since it’s high in fiber and protein which will leave your gut and hormones happy!
Shrimp and White Bean Puttanesca
½ red onion, sliced
½ bulb of fennel, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 tsp chili flakes
2 anchovies (seems stingy but it was the prefect amount)
2 tbsp capers and 1 tbsp of the brine
1 jar tomato sauce or 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 can of white beans (navy, cannellini), drained and rinsed
1 lb shrimp
Olive oil
Salt, Pepper
Chopped basil or parsley (optional)
Bread to serve (optional)
Heat a skillet over medium, and once heated, add a generous glug of olive oil and the onion and fennel; season with salt and pepper and cook slowly until the vegetables start to caramelize. Once everything is sticky and brown, add the garlic, chili flakes, and anchovies, stirring until they melt. Then, add the capers and brine, the tomato sauce and the drained white beans, stir, and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 10, add the shrimp, season lightly with salt and pepper again, stir and cover. Cook until the shrimp is done, sprinkle with your herbs, and serve immediately straight out of the pan with bread and a crisp green salad.