Lemony Shrimp Scampi

(92)
Prep Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
20 mins
Servings:
4

Easy and elegant, this dish is a real catch. It takes mere minutes to make and you'll wonder why you never made this popular restaurant dish at home before. The use of the word "scampi" to mean a garlicky, buttery preparation for shrimp is more Italian-American than Italian; it's thought to have first appeared on a menu in 1950s New Jersey. Scampi are tiny, lobster-like crustaceans with pale pink shells, also known as langoustines. It's thought that Italian cooks in the United States used shrimp when they couldn't get scampi, but kept both names. Serve shrimp scampi over pasta, like the angel hair used in this recipe, or with plenty of crusty bread.

Ingredients

  • ¾ pound angel-hair pasta

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • ¾ pound large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • ¼ cup lemon juice (from 2 lemons), plus wedges for serving

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

  • Salt and pepper

Directions

  1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions, then drain.

  2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add shrimp and cook until opaque throughout, about 3 minutes, flipping once. Transfer to a plate.

  3. Reduce heat to medium. Add butter and garlic to skillet and saute until garlic is soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice and cook 1 minute; season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Add pasta and shrimp and toss to combine. Serve with lemon wedges.

    Lemony Shrimp Scampi
Originally appeared: Everyday Food, June 2012

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