Forgive me.

For I know exactly what I’m doing.

If a dish full of butter, olive oil and wine is wrong, I don’t want to be right. Ever.


Oh! And don’t forget the garlic.

This shrimp scampi is one of the very first meals I ever made for Mr. How Sweet. It was February of 2007, I made it on a Friday afternoon, and the entire dish was gone by Saturday morning. I recall this clearly. Mr. How Sweet most likely does not remember it, even after reading that line… he is aging rapidly. He says I give him gray hair.


I say he gives me eye sores in the form of Nascar memorabilia and stuffed turkeys. Semi-fair trade. I still have it worse.

There is only one thing that can make this shrimp better.


A fresh ciabatta loaf made into toasty, buttery homemade garlic bread.

As classic and fabulous as this shrimp is, I have to admit that this is only the third time I’ve made it since 2007. It probably has something to do with the fact that Mr. How Sweet claims the little shrimp don’t give him enough protein. So when he ate it last night, he had to have a side of chicken with it. Why must he ruin perfectly good meals? I’m going to boycott chicken.

The dish actually does not take long at all because the shrimp cook so quickly. The prep takes longer than the actual cooking! Don’t be intimidated by the ingredient list… just don’t leave anything out.


And it is by far my favorite kind of pasta: instead of red sauce, you get a smooth, buttery blanket of sauce. If you add the cheese on while it’s still steaming hot, it melts and gets gooey. Sigh.

Then, if you are anywhere near as classy as I am, you will dip your garlic bread into the original serving bowl and lap up the remaining butter and wine.



Shrimp Scampi

serves 2-4 (generous portions)

1 pound raw, peeled and deveined shrimp

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 shallot, sliced

1/2 cup dry white wine, like Chardonnay

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 – 3/4 pound whole wheat linguine

1/3 cup parmesan or asiago cheese

2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

Make sure shrimp is cleaned and completely dry, then season with salt and pepper. Boil your water for pasta and cook pasta according to directions.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, adding olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter. Add sliced shallots with a pinch of salt and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add in minced garlic, then immediately add in shrimp (this prevents the garlic from burning) in one layer so each side can cook. Cook for only 60 seconds, then flip shrimp and cook for 60 seconds more. Pour in white wine and let mixture simmer for about 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in the last tablespoon of butter.

Add all pasta to a large bowl and pour entire shrimp and wine mixture over top. Add red pepper and cheese and toss until everything is combined. Add additional olive oil or salt and pepper to taste if desired. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with garlic bread.


I’d twirl my fork around this any day.