Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Lemon and Herb Linguine...7$ Dinner for a family of 5

We're back for another Money Monday! Let's just dive right in to this week's ideas...

Money-saving shopping tips

• Shop the discount stores like the 99cent Only Store chains for veggies and pasta. They have fresh produce, including a lot of organic choices.
• Use salad shrimp. It costs a lot less because of the size.
• The biggest cost on this is the bacon. The pre-cooked bits are going to save you money and fat grams.

Ingredients

• 1/3-1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (lemon infused)
• 1 small red bell pepper, julienne
• 2 leeks, trimmed, halved, cut lengthwise, sliced thin, washed, rinsed, dried
• 2 cloves Garlic, pressed
• 2 lemons, zested and juiced
• 1 2.5 oz pre-cooked packaged diced bacon
• 1/2 lb salad shrimp, frozen
• 1/2 lb linguine, cooked according to package directions 
• 2 zucchini, sliced thin in ribbons
• 6 oz  extra large black olives, drained (optional) 
• smoked paprika, salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley to taste (about 1/4 cup chopped)

Instructions

• Trim off the dark green parts of the leeks  and use the light green stuff. Chop in half lengthwise and then slice thin.
• In a large 14 inch skillet, heat the oil. Add the bell pepper, leek, garlic, lemon zest and bacon. Cook until vegetables are just tender.  Push the vegetable to the side of the pan.
• Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 3 minutes. Don't overcook the shrimp. I'm a nerd here, but honestly, I'm not a fan of rubber shrimp. If food bounces back when you chew it, you should spit it out. That's just my humble (yet highly accurate) opinion.
• Add the cooked pasta, and olives and lemon juice. Toss with the vegetables. Season with pepper. Taste. Season as needed.
• Transfer to a serving platter or bowl. Garnish with chopped parsley and sprinkle with smoked paprika.
• Serve hot.  

There you go darlings!

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Chef Tess