Shrimp Scampi

I love making scampi. The best part is the wonderful mix of flavor and aroma!! (And of course, the buttery goodness!) My first shrimp scampi recipe came out of The Costco Cookbook (2004?). Nowadays, I mix ingredients off the top of my mind and just follow the basics for great cooking.

I peel all my shrimp bare to save the hassle of picking off tails or shells while eating. Heat up a stick of butter in the pan and brown some fresh garlic in it. Squeeze lemon juice into the raw shrimp. Throw dried herbs into the pan for flavor (generally oregano, parsley, basil) and then, when the pan is bubbling with the buttery mix, sear the shrimp. The dried herbs should mix well and add more onto the shrimp as you cook, if it's not spread well. I like to add garlic powder in after cooking the shrimp in the dried herbs for a bit. Once the shrimp are almost done (about 3 minutes), pour in some white wine. I usually pour about 3-4 tablespoons of it for about 25-30 shrimp. Let it simmer more until the heavy wine scent lifts and you're ready for plating. If you like, garnish with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. I was told that my scampi tasted better than Red Lobster's but perhaps because it's made with love. :)

Yum! Serve it over spaghetti or thinner spaghetti. If my pan is big enough, I like to toss the spaghetti with the scampi in the pan over a little heat to get the noodles to soak up the flavor. Otherwise, serving separately stick works just as well.