When you come home from a long day of work, often the last thing you look forward to doing is preparing a meal. Many will grab fast food, or peanut butter and bread. What if you could create something in less than half an hour that not only smells intoxicating, but tastes so gratifying?
You don’t have everything on hand to make shrimp scampi? All of the ingredients are readily available at your local grocer. Why not make that small detour? You’ll be so happy that you did. This dish makes a perfect addition to the "quick and easy recipe" series.
Surprisingly, there has been a long discussed debate about whether shrimp scampi was created in Italy or in the United States.
The first recorded version of this flavourful recipe surfaced in 1747 by English cookery writer, Hannah Glasse in her published book The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy.
Many chefs of Michelin-starred restaurants have their own variations of the recipe, from type of pasta to use of olive oil instead of butter, like that of acclaimed Chef Thomas Keller, who shares a take on shrimp scampi without pasta.
One can agree that this easy-to-make dish presents beautifully and tastes delicious.
Easy Shrimp Scampi Recipe
Recipe by Michele Bogle
PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes YIELDS: 4
Equipment
Medium stockpot, large skillet, garlic press, grater, paring knife, cutting board, tongs, strainer, heat-resistant spatula, measuring cup.
Ingredients
24 jumbo shrimp uncooked
1 ⅓ cups dry white wine
2 cups fish stock or chicken bouillon
2 dozen cherry tomatoes, halved
1 pkg/900 grams of capellini pasta
2 lemons
1 tsp red pepper flakes
¾ cup olive oil, divided
12 stems fresh basil, stemmed and chiffonade cut
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 whole shallots, diced
Lemon zest, from 1 lemon
Parmesan cheese, grated for the topping
Instructions
Step 1
Fill the stockpot half full of water, adding 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and set to boil.
Step 2
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on high in a skillet.
Peel, rinse and pat dry the shrimp. On a clean surface lightly salt and pepper the shrimp. When the olive oil begins to bubble, set the shrimp, spaced apart on their side, in the hot skillet for 30 seconds. Turn them, then grate a lemon over top. Cook each on the opposite side for 30 seconds.
Remove from heat and set them aside on a dish.
Step 3
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a skillet set at medium-high. Sauté the shallots and garlic. Reduce heat as a golden colour appears.
Stir in the tomatoes, cut basil and pepper flakes for 2 minutes until the tomatoes begin to blister. Pour another teaspoon of olive oil in to keep the mixture from burning.
Step 4
Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water. Reduce heat to medium-high. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes.
Step 5
Incorporate the wine, and bouillon or stock in with the onion combination. As the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat to a medium-low simmer and cook for 4 minutes.
Step 6
Drain, but do not rinse the pasta. With a set of tongs, lightly toss 4 more tablespoons of olive oil into the cooked pasta.
Step 7
Taste the sauce. Balance if necessary, with salt, pepper, stock or wine. If additional wine is added, allow the alcohol to cook off for a few minutes. The flavour of the wine will still be present.
Step 8
Bring the components together when ready to eat. The pasta will absorb the sauce fairly quickly.
While the sauce is hot, add in 6 shrimp, then one serving of pasta. Move the pasta around the sauce with a set of tongs. Then, with a twist of the wrist, lift the pasta onto a serving dish, spoon equal amounts of ingredients and shrimp over the pasta. Squeeze fresh lemon juice overtop.
Repeat 3 more times. Garnish with shaved parmesan. Enjoy!