SHRIMP SCAMPI & LINGUINI

I have talked about the Christmas Eve celebrations my family has had throughout the years in earlier posts on the blog. My family always makes the Feast of the Seven Fishes, a long standing tradition in every Italian household enjoyed by one and all.  Last week I shared with you one of my all time favorite recipes for spicy mussels.  Today I am going to share one of my father’s favorite dishes, shrimp scampi with linguini.

Always a crowd pleaser, especially for my father! In my father’s case, throw anything over linguini and he is pleased. He is the only person I know that could eat oil and garlic over linguini every night for dinner and be satisfied.  Irwin, on the other hand - make him oil and garlic and give it to him for a meal...well, let’s just say that was never happening in the Green household.

Shrimp in my house is always a huge hit, no matter how it is made.  Fried, broiled, sautéed in a sauce over spaghetti, stuffed - any way you would make them.  In my house you had better make sure to have twice as much as you need on hand, because the shrimp is always the first food item to be finished off.

I have given you two recipes from my family’s Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes so far.  Only five more dishes to go and you will have the complete feast.  A couple of side notes; make sure to have a loaf or two of good crusty bread to soak up the sauce, and a fantastic bottle of wine - you might need more than one bottle because, what goes better with Italian seafood than wine!?    Remember, it does not have to be Christmas Eve for you to make this quick, light dish.

Shrimp Scampi With Linguini

 Ingredients

·         1 pound linguini (fresh pasta works even better)

·         4 tablespoons butter

·         4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

·         1 large shallot, finely diced

·         5 cloves garlic, sliced

·         Pinch red pepper flakes, optional

·         20 large shrimp, about 1 pound, peeled and deveined, tail on

·         Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

·         1/2 cup dry white wine

·         1 lemon, juiced

·         1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves

Directions

For the pasta, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When it has come to the boil, add a couple of tablespoons of salt and the linguini. Stir to make sure the pasta separates; cover. When the water returns to a boil, cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the pasta is not quite done. Drain the pasta reserving 1 cup of water.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using) until the shallots are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Season the shrimp with salt and pepper; add them to the pan and cook until they have turned pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan; set aside and keep warm. Add wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil. When the butter has melted, return the shrimp to the pan along with the parsley and cooked pasta and reserved pasta water.

Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over a bit more olive oil and serve immediately.