SHRIMP SCAMPI over LINGUINE

Serves: 4

1 lb. peeled, deveined shrimp 

Kosher salt and pepper 

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 

1 pinch crushed red pepper 

Juice from one lemon

1 cup white wine 

¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley 

Parmesan cheese, for serving 

1 lb. linguine 

This dish comes together fast, which is why we love it for a weeknight. Set a pot of salted water to boil as soon as you enter the kitchen, prepare all the other ingredients as the water warms up and cook the shrimp and sauce while your pasta cooks – everything is ready in less than 20 minutes, even if you’re a slow chopper. 

Bring pasta water to boil over high heat. Pat shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp and saute for 2-3 minutes per side until completely opaque and the color has changed from grey to white and pink. Remove shrimp from skillet and set aside. 

Add the pasta to your boiling water and cook the pasta while you make the rest of the sauce. Set a timer so you remember to check it. Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter to the skillet and let it melt. Once the butter is melted add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Increase the heat to high and pour in the lemon juice and white wine. Scoop ½ cup of pasta water out of the pasta pot and add to the skillet. Cook the liquid in the skillet on high for 4-5 minutes, allowing it to evaporate and concentrate. Taste – if it’s too sharp like lemon and wine, add one more tablespoon of butter and stir it in as it melts.  Add the shrimp back to the skillet and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Once your pasta is cooked to al dente, drain it and add it to the skillet. Turn the heat off and toss everything together well for another minute. Garnish with parsley and grated parmesan cheese. Serve immediately. 

Switch it up: to make scampi shrimp without the pasta: reduce the wine to ½ cup and the second addition of butter by 1 tablespoon. Serve straight out of the skillet with warm crusty bread and some roasted broccolini or a caesar salad on the side. 

Hate shrimp? make Chicken Scampi instead. Cut thinly sliced chicken breasts into bite sized pieces, season with salt and pepper and saute until cooked through. Proceed with the rest of the recipe from there. 

BEVERAGE PAIRING SUGGESTIONS: 

This dish is elegant, deeply flavored and the simplicity of the ingredients allows the shrimp to be the star of the show. Our go to match with this would be white wine, or rose. When it comes to whites, it’s hard for us to stay away from the pull of crispy Italian white wine. Pinot Grigio would be amazing with this, but as wine merchants, we’re always going to urge you to try something a little off the beaten path. Falanghina is the signature white wine of the Campania region in Italy, it’s light, lively and usually very affordable. 

The DiMajo Norante Falanghina is a classic representation of this refreshing and delicious white. Golden straw yellow in the glass with green edges, the wine opens with aromas of juicy citrus touched by hints of honey and white flowers. On the palate this wine is crisp, fruit-forward and zesty, with a hint of stony minerality that makes it a perfect match with shrimp. If you haven’t tried a Falanghina yet, this is your sign to give it a shot.