1 Family. Friendly. Food.: Linguine with Shrimp Scampi

I love this dish with delicate lemon flavored pasta and beautiful orange colored shrimp sautéed in butter. Yum. This recipe makes a perfect weekday meal. It is so easy to make and you can have dinner on the table in 20 minutes or less. I think that I cook this meal every 4-6 weeks when I am looking for a tried and true recipe or when I’m at the grocery store and have no plans what to cook for dinner. This is always the first thing to come to my mind when I'm at the seafood section. It’s like the little black dress that saves you when you have no better option for example, when you stop by the grocery store on your way home from work with no grocery list.
And, adults love it and kids too.

Linguine with Shrimp Scampi

Recipe adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook
Makes 4-6 servings

Kosher salt
1 box linguine
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons good olive oil
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 lemon, zest grated
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
¼ lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds, optional
1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, optional
Freshly grated parmesan for serving, optional

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook according to the directions on the package.

Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Sauté for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, salt, and pepper and sauté until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often.

Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.

When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve with parmesan.

Enjoy,
Nurit