Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp scampi is a deliciously decadent Italian seafood dish. It is a rich, buttery treat and is simple to prepare. According to the culinary research published on the Food Timeline, “The earliest reference to shrimp scampi in The New York Times is a restaurant advertisement published May 9, 1956 for The Tenakill Restaurant in Englewood NJ.” This dish may have evolved from another Italian dish where the shrimp is sautéed in olive oil, with garlic, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice.

Serves 4
recipe adapted from Dean & Deluca
print this recipe

1/2 head of garlic
20 shrimp, peeled and cleaned
2/3 cup butter
500g linguine
¼ cup chopped basil
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 ¼ cup white wine
zest and juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Roast garlic. Cook the pasta, rinse in cool water.

Heat a large sauté pan. Squeeze the cooked garlic from the head out to one side and place in the pan with the white wine (the garlic will come out as a roasted paste). When the wine has reduced to half add the butter, a spoonful at a time whisking as you go, then the basil, parsley and pasta. As soon as the pasta is warm turn off heat.

Pan fry the shrimp for 60 seconds each side or until pink. Divide the pasta and sauce on four plates and place shrimp on top of each plate.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: If you don’t have wine or don’t want to use it, add an equal amount of the pasta cooking water to thin the sauce a bit. Scrumptious and very easy to make.