Julian's pasta with shrimp, capers, olives and fresh tomatoes

Ingredients

• 6 or 7 large fresh shrimp peeled and deveined
  
• 4 or 5 olives, pitted and chopped or torn into pieces
  
• ~1 tsp capers
  
• 1 shallot
  
• 2 or more scallions
  
• 1 handful fresh herbs (basil, chives, coriander or whatever is in the garden)
  
• 1 or 2 good sized ripe, fresh tomatoes (in combination of colors if you have them; but red is pretty enough on its own)
  
• 1 splash olive oil, enough to cover the bottom of the pan, pooling a bit when pan is tilted
  
• lots fresh garlic - I like about 2 cloves per person
  
• dashes hot pepper flakes if desired
  
• 1/2 lemon, juice and rind
  
• 2 ounces penne, fusilli, or another similar size pasta
  

Directions

1. Set your pasta water boiling, while you prepare shrimp and chop shallots, onions, garlic, and olives. Chop tomatoes and the handfuls of fresh herbs, setting these two aside to add in at the end. Add pasta shape of choice to water when it is boiling (I like something substantial like a penne though spaghetti works too).
2. Add olive oil to pan. When oil is hot, add the scallions, shallots, garlic and cook briefly. Add the hot pepper flakes, if used. Add shrimp and let cook briefly on each side till it turns pink. Add the chopped olives and capers and wait till the pan heats again. It hurts nothing to be generous with the caper juice here. Add lemon juice and rind, stir, and remove from heat.
3. Drain pasta leaving slightly wet; toss with cooked shrimp and olives; toss in fresh tomatoes and herbs. Stir. Add freshly ground pepper if you like.