Shrimp Scampi

Regardless of whether or not you parents were good cooks, there are some dishes that no matter what you do will always remind you of them. Even though my brothers and I give my mom a really hard time about how she ruined lamb for me or how she made us all eat things we hated, she was a really great home cook.

Mom. Step away from the computer. Go take a walk round the house until the smoke stops coming out of your ears. That was a compliment.

There are certain things she made that will always stick with me and that I aspire to be great at now. I’m a little scared to tackle any of them for fear I won’t measure up to how great they are in my head.

Until the boys were born, she used to make my dad this delicious cheese soufflé and they would take turns letting me try. I’ll never be able to erase the smell of delicious panko crusted veal cooking on the free standing griddle we had from my mind. Nor would I want to. But, one of my favorites was when she made shrimp scampi with angel hair pasta.

So, when I needed something to cook for NFT last night, I did just like momma. I even had Albert and Josh over to enhance that old time feeling. There was no screaming at one another or throwing forks across the table (if you are lucky I’ll tell you that one someday) but it totally felt like being at home.

Maybe I was scared to try because in my head I’m still an eight year old waiting for mom to set that deliciously garlic and buttery plate of shrimp and pasta in front of me, but I’m so glad I finally made the attempt. Not only was this dish an Eric, Albert and Joshua pleaser, it was so quick and easy. I was prepped and ready so fast that I had to wait till the boys got close to my house to start the cooking.

Try your hand at this easy and delectable dish. Or, better yet, one that reminds you of your mommy.

Love you mom!

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

P.S. I love garlic!

Ingredients

Vegetable oil

Kosher salt

1 pound angel hair pasta

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)

1 pound large shrimp (about 16 shrimp), peeled and deveined

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

1/2 lemon, zest grated

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)

1/4 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds

1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Directions

Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the angel hair, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Angel hair is so thin that is easy to over cook so if you are like me and hate soggy noodles, watch the progress very carefully.

Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.

When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.