Shrimp Scampi

• servings: 4-6

Ingredients

1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 lb angel hair pasta

5 tbsp butter

½ cup dry white wine

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 lemon, juiced (also add zest to taste)

2 tbsp olive oil

¼ cup chopped parsley leaves (or any other fresh herb)

½ tsp red pepper flakes

Salt

Directions

If your shrimp come with their shells on, reserve the shells from peeling and add them to a small pot along with the white wine. Simmer this on low heat while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. This will give the dish a more shrimp forward flavor, but isn’t necessary.

Heat a large pot of water until it reaches a rolling boil. Salt the water and add the pasta, cooking until al-dente. Reserve some of the cooking water in a small cup or bowl, then strain the noodles.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a wide pan with high sides over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the shrimp and cook until one side is browned nicely. Flip the shrimp over and cook for another 30 seconds, then remove them from the pan and set aside.

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan, sauteing until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the lemon juice and white wine and raise the heat to high. Be sure to scrape up any browned fond from searing the shrimp. Allow the liquid to reduce for 2-3 minutes, or until it lightly coats the back of a spoon.

Whisk in the butter and add some of the reserved pasta water. Add the strained pasta into the skillet along with the parsley and shrimp, then toss to combine, adding more pasta water to thin out the sauce as needed.

Finish with lemon zest and salt & pepper to taste. Serve hot with grated cheese if desired

Notes

A classic dish that can be found in nearly all Italian-American restaurants and is an easy crowd pleaser. The name ‘Scampi’ refers to small crustaceans often called ‘Langoustines’. Scampi has a much more crab light flavor, but shrimp are the more readily available ingredient for most. This recipe has no single traditional form, and can have many variations. This americanized version uses white wine, butter, lemon, and parsley to compliment the flavor of the shrimp, with a light sauce that coats the angel hair pasta.