Shrimp Scampi is a simple dish, that’s quick to make, and ticks multiple yummy flavor boxes – acid from the wine and lemon, fat from the butter and olive oil, and a tiny hint of heat from the crushed red pepper flakes and the copious use of garlic.  You really have to love garlic to enjoy this dish.  Once you have all your ingredients prepared, aka your shrimp peeled and your garlic minced, the dish can be turned out within the time it takes you to cook your pasta, in under 10 minutes.  This is a pretty standard Scampi recipe the only variation is the addition of tomatoes, something my Mom has always added to her scampi, and the lack of fresh parsley.  I have also halve the butter with olive oil to introduce some healthier fats to the dish, but if you want to get decadent you can go full on butter.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb peeled Shrimp
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 5 cloves minced Garlic
• 1 diced Plum Tomato
• 1/2 cup White Wine
• a pinch of hot Red Pepper Flakes
• Salt and Pepper for seasoning
• 1 Lemon

for serving

• Pasta
• Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

1. Set pasta up to cook.
2. Melt butter and olive oil together in the bottom of a sauté pan with a lid.
3. Once the butter has melted sauté the garlic and tomatoes in the pan.  Do not burn the garlic.
4. Pour in the wine, and cover the pan until you are ready to cook your shrimp.  The garlic should begin to turn slightly translucent by the time the pan is ready for the shrimp.  If the liquid levels in the pan get too low add a little more wine.
5. The timing for cooking the shrimp is the trickiest part of this recipe.  It really depends on how hot you have your burner.  I try to keep my wine sauce at a slow simmer, and add the shrimp halfway through my pasta’s cooking time.
   1. Add the pinch of the red pepper flakes to the pan.  More if you want it spicy.
   2. Add in the shrimp.
   3. Season with salt and pepper.
   4. Cover the pan, and allow the shrimp to cook.  The shrimp are done once they’ve turned that lovely pink color, but you want to catch them before they’ve started to curl back in on themselves and gotten tough.  I usually take a peek at them after a few minutes to determine where they are in the cooking process before replacing the lid, and giving them another minute or two.
6. Remove the shrimp from the heat, and squeeze fresh lemon juice over them.
7. Serve the scampi on pasta, or another starch of your choice, and with grated parmesan cheese.