My dear friend Jeni was coming over to my place before we went out to celebrate her birthday and I wanted to make dinner for her. I needed a simple dish to make since I had a limited time to cook and eat before heading out to a concert. That’s where shrimp scampi comes in! It’s a pretty quick dish to whip up. I copied the ingredients from this recipe from The Neeleys but didn’t really follow the directions. I bought cooked shrimp so my first step was cooking the garlic, red pepper flakes & olive oil. Then I added wine, lemon juice, zest & butter and let the shrimp simmer in the sauce for a couple minutes. Finally, add the pasta, a little bit of pasta water, toss and add parsley. And with a couple delicious Sprinkles cupcakes on the side, we had a lovely birthday dinner together 🙂

Recipe courtesy of: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/ginas-shrimp-scampi-with-angel-hair-pasta-recipe/index.html

Gina’s Shrimp Scampi with Angel Hair Pasta
Recipe courtesy The Neelys

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 20 min

Serves:
4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 pound angel hair pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 lemon, juiced, plus 1/2 lemon, zested
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves

Directions:
Add the pasta to a large pot of boiling salted water, over medium heat, and cook until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. Once shimmering and hot, add the shrimp and saute until just cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a plate and reserve. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the skillet, then saute for until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the lemon juice and white wine and raise the heat to high. Let the liquid reduce for 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the butter, add a ladleful of the pasta cooking water and return the shrimp. Remove from the heat.

Drain the pasta in a colander, and add it to the skillet along with the chopped parsley and toss. Add the lemon zest and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately.