Shrimp Scampi
Shrimp scampi is an Italian-American classic that features large shrimp in a garlicky sauce with white wine, butter and lemon. The sauce is really the star of the dish, which is why the dish is served with crusty bread, pasta or rice to sop it up.
Storage: Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Ingredients
- 1 lemon
- 1 1/2 pounds jumbo (16 / 20 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Crusty bread, cooked pasta or rice, for serving
Directions
Step 1
Using a rasp grater, zest the lemon, then halve and juice it. (You should have about 1 teaspoon of zest and 2 tablespoons of juice.) Set aside, separately.
Step 2
Pat the shrimp dry and season with the salt and pepper all over. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with the olive oil until foamy. Working in batches, cook the shrimp until pink, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked shrimp to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan. Repeat with the remaining shrimp.
Step 3
Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine and the reserved lemon juice, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and simmer until thickened and reduced by about half, 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 4
Stir in the reserved lemon zest, parsley and the remaining 2 tablespoons of the butter to form a glossy sauce. Add the cooked shrimp, plus any accumulated juices, and stir to combine. Transfer to a shallow bowl or platter, and serve with crusty bread, pasta or rice to sop up the sauce.
Substitutions
If you can’t have alcohol >> replace the white wine with seafood, chicken or vegetable stock or broth, along with a splash of extra lemon juice and a pinch of sugar.
To make this dairy-free >> use vegan butter.
Vegetarian? >> Try using cubes of firm tofu instead of shrimp.
Vegan? >> Use firm tofu and vegan butter.
Looking for more fiber? >> Stir in a package of fresh baby spinach or arugula right before serving (just to wilt the greens).
