Shrimp Scampi

Before I started this blog, I would cook by taste and sight and never really wrote down my recipes or measured ingredients. It’s the way that a lot of home cooks (and professional chefs) like to work, but it can make perfect replication difficult. This shrimp scampi dish is something I made all through college but never immortalized into a written recipe (even when I wrote it down once for my mom, the measurements were hazy). My boyfriend recently had a scampi craving, so it forced me to tweak the measurements until I got it down perfectly. It’s super garlicky, bright from the lemon and wine, and a little bit rich from the butter… it’s my best shrimp scampi yet.

Shrimp Scampi with Linguine Pasta:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, season with salt, and cook 1/2 lb. linguine pasta until al dente.
• Meanwhile, melt 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil in a pan.
• Add in 2/3 lb. peeled and de-veined shrimp and season with salt and pepper.
• Cook for 2 minutes on one side, then flip and add 6 minced garlic cloves and a pinch of red chili flakes.
• Cook the garlic until fragrant, about a minute, then add in the juice and zest of a lemon and 1/2 c. white wine.
• Let the sauce reduce for 3-4 minutes, then check for seasoning and add more salt as necessary.
• Drain the pasta, reserving 2 tbsp. of pasta water.
• Add the pasta, pasta water, and 1 tbsp. minced parsley to the pan with the shrimp.
• Toss for a second, then turn off the heat and add in 1 tbsp. cold butter. Continue tossing until the butter melts.
• Divide onto plates and garnish with extra chopped parsley.

Serves two