Easy Shrimp Scampi is a classic but simple dish to prepare, taking only 5 minutes to cook. Its extraordinary sauce of garlic, white wine, and butter surrounds fresh succulent shrimp that is cooked to perfection. Serve it over pasta with a piece of crusty French bread and a chilled Chardonnay and you have a meal fit for kings.
Preparing the Shrimp:
One of the benefits of living on the Gulf Coast is a ready supply of fresh seafood. My favorite is shrimp. The Gulf Coast shrimp season can start as early as late May, and as late as mid-July. It all depends on the size of the shrimp that have been sampled. From experience, I would say that the bay shrimp are the most tasty. In addition, I almost always buy head-on shrimp because they tend to be the freshest.
The most time-consuming part of making this Shrimp Scampi is cleaning the shrimp. Because I buy head-on shrimp, the cleaning requires me to both remove the heads and then peel the shrimp. Once this is done, I devein them. Some folks would argue the deveining the shrimp is unnecessary. I would suggest that those with this view have never actually seen how gross the veins can be at certain times of the year! When I devein the shrimp, I not only remove the larger top vein, but also the smaller vein on the underside.
Ingredients for Easy Shrimp Scampi:
I used the following ingredients for this classic dish: Fresh peeled and deveined shrimp, Essence or Creole seasoning, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, butter, olive oil, garlic, white wine, and lemon juice. I used spaghetti as the pasta, but could have used angel hair pasta or linguine as well.
Preparing the Easy Shrimp Scampi:
First, I tossed the shrimp with the Essence, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Then, heated some of the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Next, I added the shrimp to the skillet. and cooked it for 2 minutes. A key to cooking shrimp is to ensure that it is cooked quickly and not over cooked. The reason is that overcooked shrimp becomes tough and unappealing!
After the 2 minutes, I added the garlic for a 30 second sauté. Then, I added the white wine and lemon juice, and cooked the mixture for 3 more minutes.
I added the remaining butter, and made sure that the seasonings were perfect. Then, I immediately served the Easy Shrimp Scampi over pasta that I had cooked according to the package directions. I added a piece of freshly baked crusty French bread and a chilled Chardonnay for a perfect dinner. Yum!
Easy Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds in shell large shrimp, peeled and deveined (See Notes 1 and 2)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Essence or other Creole seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves for garnish
- 8 ounces spaghetti or Linguine prepared according to package directions
Instructions
- Toss the shrimp in a medium bowl with the Essence, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper.
- Place the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and spread them evenly in the skillet. Cook for 2 minutes, quickly turning. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds. Add the white wine and lemon juice to the pan and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter; correct the seasonings.
- Serve immediately over prepared pasta; garnish with minced parsley. Yield: 4 servings.
Video
Chula's Expert Tips
- I typically buy 16 to 20 shrimp. This refers to the average number of shrimp per pound.
- If using head on shrimp, increase the amount to 2 pounds. If using already peeled and deveined shrimp, use 12 ounces.
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