Shrimp Scampi with Garlicky Lemon Butter Sauce

Choose fresh frozen wild-caught large shrimp with shells on or, if available, other shrimp with shells on. Shrimp with shells on are more flavorful, and purchasing frozen shrimp with shells on makes it easier to serve this dish. This shrimp scampi recipe is a simple skillet meal made with large shrimp and a garlic and lemon butter sauce with a hint of red pepper.

The shrimp are marinated in part of the olive oil and half of the garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes as a seasoning before cooking. Additional garlic is sautéed in butter, wine, and lemon juice. Cold butter is stirred into the reduced sauce. Chopped parsley is stirred into the sauce as a garnish.

Watch the shrimp, not the clock. Cooked shrimp will curl at the tail end toward the head end. Shrimp can develop a golden color, though not a dark brown. Remove cooked shrimp promptly and reduce the lemon juice and wine to half their original volume, until thickened. Return the shrimp to the pan. The biggest problem with cooking shrimp is overcooking, which makes the shrimp rubbery. Remove blackened garlic from the shrimp, it will taste bitter.

Serve warm with sourdough for dipping. Other serving suggestions include pasta, rice, and zucchini noodle toppings. Suggestions for using leftovers: sun-dried tomato pasta and buttered noodles; add shrimp before serving to heat. Other suggestions: cold Mediterranean salads and sandwiches with grilled vegetables.