What's For Dinner
January 16 2008
Quick Dinner: Shrimp Scampi with a Caesar Salad
Garlic, garlic, garlic! This is a simple and tasty meal for any pasta lover.
For the Shrimp Scampi:
1 pound of fresh or dried Linguini
1 pound of shrimp (peeled)
salt
pepper
olive oil
4 tablespoons of butter
6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup white wine
juice from one lemon
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Heat a pot of water to a boil. When boiling, add enough salt to make the water taste like sea water (a good handfull). Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Once cooked to al dente, remove from water and set aside - but try to keep it warm.
Heat half the butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Add the garlic, shallots, and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook until the garlic and shallots are soft - about 3-5 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper then add them to the pan. Cook until the shrimp are just cooked - curled and opaque. Do not over cook!
Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside. Add the white wine, lemon juice and parsley to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and stir until melted. Once the butter is melted and incorporated, add the shrimp back to the pan. Stir. Add the pasta to the pan and toss to coat the pasta. Add a little extra oilive oil if it looks dry. Serve immediately.
For the Caesar Salad:
4 ancovy fillets
1 egg
juice from 1 lemon
1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1 minced clove of garlic
salt
pepper
1 tablespoon of capers
1 head of romaine lettuce
croutons to taste
extra ancovy fillets if you like
Parmesan cheese shavings
Remove the achovy fillets from the oil they come in and place them in a large salad bowl. Mash them up with a fork to make a paste. Add the egg, lemon juice, Wochestershire sauce, mustard, and garlic. Whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste (you won't need much salt if any).
Tear the lettuce and place in the salad bowl on top of the dressing. Add the capers and the croutons. When ready to serve, toss the salad to distribute the dressing. Top with the Parmesan cheese shavings and the extra anchovies if you like.