Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp scampi is an Italian-American restaurant staple beloved for its buttery, garlicky sauce. And here's some good news: It couldn’t be easier—or faster—to make at home. This version comes from cookbook author Lidia Bastianich, who says that "in Italy, spiny langouste [a.k.a. scampi] was prepared in this fashion." When early Italian immigrants arrived in the United States, she continues, this variety of crustacean was unavailable, so cooks "prepared the shrimp they found here in the scampi style they remembered."

Bastianich employs a few simple tricks to make her weeknight shrimp scampi recipe foolproof. Briefly parcooking the large shrimp at the beginning ensures that they come out tender and don’t overcook when reheated with the sauce. Thyme, wine, lemon juice, and a generous dose of butter mingle with the alliums—both whole crushed garlic cloves and a puréed blend of garlic and shallots—to reproduce the sauce's signature flavor. To finish, shower the seafood with chopped fresh parsley.

Bastianich says it was common in her early restaurant days to spoon the zesty, rich dish over risotto or serve it with a side of garlicky sautéed broccoli. You could certainly toss the whole thing with linguine (and a little pasta water) if you're craving noodles, or simply enjoy with some crusty bread to sop up every last drop of the garlic-butter scampi sauce.

Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published in ‘Lidia's Italy in America’ and first appeared on Epicurious in December 2011.