A few years ago, I realized that the concept of what I know as Classic Shrimp Scampi is kind of an American one. To Americans, Shrimp Scampi is shrimp cooked in butter and typically served over pasta. But scampi is actually its own type of crustacean. So it appears that when Italian immigrants came to the US, they adapted the recipe to substitute in shrimp and then kept both names.
Now that you’ve had a history lesson on Shrimp Scampi, let me get to the actual making of the dish. This version is relatively classic, where you cook the shrimp in a butter white wine sauce with a little bit of crushed red pepper and then finish it off with fresh parsley and some lemon juice. To soak up the yummy sauce, serve with pasta or crusty bread.
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 lbs large or extra large shrimp, cleaned
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- the juice of 1 lemon
- cooked pasta or bread, to serve
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