Quick and Awesome

Shrimp Scampi Recipe

Shrimp scampi came about when cooks in the United States substituted shrimp for langoustines (aka Norway lobsters), which is what scampi actually is. Today, there are endless ways to cook shrimp scampi. It is usually served with bread or mixed with pasta.

This recipe, adapted from the one by Bon Appetit, requires marinating the shrimp. This step is a true gamechanger and will leave you with perfectly tangy, garlicky, and buttery shrimp scampi. Enjoy!

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest of half a lemon
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Cooked pasta (plus ladleful of pasta water) or warm crusty bread

Preparation

In a bowl, mix together half of the oil, the garlic, the salt, the lemon zest, and the shrimp. Chill for 30 minutes to an hour.
Heat the other half of the oil over medium heat. Add the shrimp. Cook the shrimp for a minute per side.
Make sure that neither the shrimp nor the garlic turns brown. Turn off the heat when the shrimp is pink but not cooked through.
Move the shrimp to a plate. Add the other half of the garlic and the red pepper flakes to the pan. Cook for about a minute, tossing frequently.
Add the lemon juice and the wine. Stir. Simmer until the sauce has reduced by half.
Add butter. Stir until the butter has melted but not browned. Add the shrimp back into the pan.

Benedetto

Add ground black pepper to taste. Stir everything together. Let the shrimp cook for about 2 minutes or until cooked through.
Transfer the shrimp scampi into a plate. Top with fresh parsley and serve with bread. You can also make shrimp scampi pasta by tossing the shrimp with 3/4 pound cooked pasta and a small ladleful of the pasta water.