#22: Make 10 new recipes

Shrimp Scampi with Linguini

taken from the Food Nework recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence

I love seafood and I love easy recipes. Something about spring has brought me back to life. While I do not love cooking I just feel like doing things in general. So for dinner I decided to pull open my Food Network recipe box and try something new. Hopefully this will be as successful as my last new recipe. I want to have a couple of easy go-to recipes in my arsenal.

Ingredients

• 1 pound linguini
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 large shallot, finely diced
• 5 cloves garlic, sliced
• Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
• 20 large shrimp, about 1 pound, peeled and deveined, tail on
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves

Directions

For the pasta, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When it has come to the boil, add a couple of tablespoons of salt and the linguini. Stir to make sure the pasta separates; cover. When the water returns to a boil, cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the pasta is not quite done. Drain the pasta reserving 1 cup of water.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using) until the shallots are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper; add them to the pan and cook until they have turned pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan; set aside and keep warm. Add wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil. When the butter has melted, return the shrimp to the pan along with the parsley and cooked pasta and reserved pasta water. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over a bit more olive oil and serve immediately.

My edits:

I used whole wheat linguini and I forgot to get some parsley so I just used some dried. I also followed the pasta instructions on the box because I knew the Hubs would complain about al dente pasta.

The verdict: It was good. When something does not taste as great as I thought it would, I have no idea where i went wrong. Was it the wine I chose? Did I cook it too long or not enough? I know one thing, I had leftovers and it tasted better to me than it did after it was immediately cooked. So maybe the flavors needed to settle. I know I will make the shrimp scampi again because that was delicious and flavorful.

To check out the rest of my 101 in 1001 click here.