Shrimp Scampi

When our diet consists of chicken, chicken, and more chicken (ugh!), there’s a limit to my creativity. Once in a while we’ll have beef, we don’t eat pork, so this limits our diet somewhat. We were in a rut, so we decide to have some shrimp instead. I’ve had shrimp scampi in the back of my mind for a while, and this recipe was pretty easy and quick.

I (meaning Gary) messed up while making this. I don’t think it altered the flavor too much though. I asked Gary how much butter I needed, and he told me 4 Tbsp. So, instead of dividing up the 4 Tbsp into 2 sections, I ended up sautéing the shrimp in the butter, then adding only the 4 Tbsp olive oil only when it called for butter and olive oil again.

This was a pretty quick and tasty meal. I think the hardest part of the whole thing was peeling the shrimp.

 Shrimp Scampi
Adapted from: Tyler Florence/Food Network

Ingredients:
1 pound linguini (I used thin spaghetti)
4 tablespoons butter, divided (I used margarine)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
1 large shallot, finely diced (I used 1 tsp dried)
5 cloves garlic, sliced
Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
20 large shrimp, about 1 pound, peeled and deveined, tail on
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves (I used about a Tbsp dried)

Directions:

For the pasta, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When it has come to the boil, add a couple of tablespoons of salt and the linguini. Stir to make sure the pasta separates; cover. When the water returns to a boil, cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the pasta is not quite done. Drain the pasta reserving 1 cup of water.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat.

Sauté the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using) until the shallots are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Season the shrimp with salt and pepper; add them to the pan and cook until they have turned pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan; set aside and keep warm.

Add wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil.

Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil. When the butter has melted, return the shrimp to the pan along with the parsley and cooked pasta and reserved pasta water.

Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over a bit more olive oil and serve immediately.