Aren't we Lucky to be Italian?

That statement was announced by my Uncle Rocky every Sunday. Sunday's were for visiting. Italian pastries mixed with crumb cakes. The NY Times and the Long Island Press were in pieces all over the home. The coffee was on - both black and brown. We were gathered at "some" home and when it was time to take our leave, a booming voice would call out: "Aren't we lucky to be Italian! Some people are going home to a roast. We are going home to pasta!" That would be Rocky Gresio - one of my mother's older brothers.
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Yesterday was Sunday. A low-key day. Sundays are not just for visiting anymore. Sports games are scheduled, stores are opened and there are a myriad of choices for your time. But it is still "Pasta Day!"

And I had a half-pound of shrimp to use up and some leftover vegetables from salads, so here we go:
RIGATONI WITH SHRIMP, FETA AND SALAD VEGETABLES (Serves 4 - easy)
This recipe begs for substitutions and amounts according to taste. (So ... maybe it's not a recipe?)
olive oil - about 1/8 cup - maybe a little more as you want to later coat all the pasta
garlic - a few cloves - minced
10-15 grape tomatoes sliced in half (any tomatoes will do)
sliced black olives - whatever amount you like
1/2 pound shrimp
one pound rigatoni (any tubular pasta)
feta cheese - about 1/2 cup crumbled
fresh Italian parsley - about 1/4 cup chopped
Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup before draining.
Saute garlic, tomatoes and olives in the olive oil. Add shrimp. Saute for 3-5 minutes - until shrimp turns pink. Set aside. Drain pasta and add to pot with shrimp and vegetables. Coat. Add a bit of pasta water if the mixture seems dry. Put on platter and add feta cheese and chopped parsley. Serve. Uncle Rocky would be pleased.
Meanwhile, the apartment hunting in Fargo continues. The pricey one we thought Matthew might take is even pricier than we thought. Matthew has about four hours to find an apartment in Fargo on Wednesday afternoon. Stay tuned. Meanwhile, I'm eating pasta. It lowers stress.