Shrimp Scampi

I've been stuck on making soup, but the crawfish fettuccine inspired me to get out and try another seafood pasta dish.  Plus, I've been around pescatarians.. so I decided to make shrimp scampi.

This entire dish probably took about 25 minutes--start to finish.  And it was soooo delicious!   The most tedious part was peeling and deveining the shrimp, but you can always buy raw shrimp that is already peeled and deveined from your neighborhood grocery store.

 I made some pasta to accompany it.  I used angel hair, though linguine is typically used with shrimp scampi dishes.  I used about 1/3 of the box.  I just boiled it according to the directions on the box, drained all but a few tablespoons of water, and I added two tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter, along with pepper.  I then mixed in about 1/3 cup of Parmesean cheese.  The pasta was delicious and did not overpower the delicate taste of the shrimp scampi. 

The recipe couldn't be easier. You just season the shrimp, cook them in a skillet of oil, and then use that oil to make the scampi sauce.  If you are lazy and want to just boil the shrimp or buy already cooked shrimp, you can purchase a premade Shrimp Scampi Sauce.

Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 4
Prep Time: about 20 minutes
Cook Time: about 5 minutes

Recipe-Shrimp Scampi

1 and 1/2 pounds jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
salt and pepper ( I used Tony's Creole Seasoning instead of salt)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup dry white vermouth
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1/4 tsp grated lemon zest

1. Pat the shrimp dry with a towel. (This will help them brown in the skillet).  Season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the butter to the skillet.  When the foaming subsides, raise the heat to high.  Quickly place all of the shrimp in the skillet at the same time, but make sure they are each laying flatly in the oil.  Cook the shrimp without moving them for one minute.  Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Turn the shrimp over and cook 2 minutes more.  The shrimp are ready when they are pink throughout.  They cook very fast, so try not to overcook them.  Transfer the shrimp to a bowl and cover to keep warm.
4. Making the Scampi Sauce: Return the skillet to the heat and pour in the vermouth and lemon juice.  Boil the liquid until slightly thickened, about 30 seconds.  Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.  Stir the zest and parsley into the sauce.  Pour the sauce over the shrimp and toss to combine.  Serve immediately.