It's Simply Scampi, Simply Delicious!

My friend Anne Murch-Gutierrez is simply the best cook... She has sent me so many recipes that I wish I had nothing better to do than cook, and of course eat! Fortunately, I have been able to make a few of her wonderful recipes (and hope to make many more) which I have posted here on the blog.

Recently, she sent me her Shrimp Scampi, which was so incredibly delicious, that I had to post it here so you can all try it!

Shrimp Scampi on Wheat Capellini
Anne Murch-Gutierrez

½ cup Olive oil
6 tablespoons Whipped butter
¾ cup Chicken stock
6 to 7 large garlic cloves - peeled, diced and minced
1 large shallot - peeled and diced
2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian oregano
½ cup Italian parsley minced
6 to 7 Basil leaves rolled and chiffonade (thinly sliced)
10 - 12 sliced button mushrooms
1 pound raw medium-sized shrimp peeled, deveined and butterflied
1 teaspoon Lemon Garlic Garni
1 teaspoon Mc Cormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Shredded Parmesan, Romano and Asiago Cheeses
1 box wheat Capellini spaghetti
½ teaspoon dried minced garlic
Sea salt

In a 12” pan pour in the olive oil. The oil should completely cover the bottom of the pan. Heat on low heat. Add the minced garlic and shallots, and allow to cook until translucent. Now add the whipped butter, mushrooms, chicken stock, oregano, parsley, Lemon Garlic Garni, Mc Cormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes; allow to simmer. This will reduce - then add shrimp. When the shrimp turns opaque it is done. This will happen very quickly. Turn heat off and sprinkle with basil.

Preparing the spaghetti can be done while preparing the scampi.

In a large pot add a large amount of water top with a small amount of olive oil and ½ teaspoon of minced garlic. Bring the water to a boil. When water is boiling then add sea salt and the spaghetti. Cook about 6 to 7 minutes until al dente. Use tongs to lift out most of the spaghetti (about 3/4ths) and drain the rest.

This is what you will need for the recipe (note, Anne used fresh herbs, but she is in a far warmer climate than I am, so I was forced to use dry herbs (use about 1/3rd the amount if using dried herbs - use fresh if you can.)



Shrimp Scampi on Wheat Capellini

½ cup Olive oil
6 tablespoons Whipped butter
¾ cup Chicken stock
6 to 7 large garlic cloves - peeled, diced and minced
1 large shallot - peeled and diced
2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian oregano
½ cup Italian parsley minced
6 to 7 Basil leaves rolled and chiffonade
10 - 12 sliced button mushrooms
1 pound raw medium-sized shrimp peeled, deveined and butterfly
1 teaspoon Lemon Garlic Garni
1 teaspoon Mc Cormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Shredded Parmesan, Romano and Asiago Cheese
1 box wheat Capellini spaghetti
½ teaspoon dried minced garlic
Sea salt

I like to prep everything first to make assembly easier

Measure out the chicken broth

Measure out the butter

and set aside

Get your garlic ready
(I'm lazy and buy peeled garlic)

and crush it

and set aside


(Chop your spices if you are using fresh or
measure out your spices)

Wash your fresh herbs


Parsley

Chop the parsley (I used a scissor - I told you I am lazy!)



Oregano


Basil


Measure out your dried garlic (I didn't have minced
so I just crumbled the dried garlic I had)

Peel your shallot and chop
(I thought I had some shallots but didn't so I
used an onion and it tasted great)
Chop your onion -
slice in one direction and then



turn the opposite way and slice again
set the chopped onion aside

Butterfly your shrimp by cutting a tiny slit in the end opposite the tail
(buy your shrimp with the tail on, but deveined - if they are
not deveined, gently remove the black vein from the back of the shrimp)


If you didn't buy pre-sliced mushrooms,
slice them now (lazy me bought pre-sliced)

Now that everything has been prepped, you are ready to began
making the scampi - Put the water up to boil and while it comes to a
boil and the spaghetti is cooking, you can prepare the shrimp.

Preparing the spaghetti can be done while preparing the scampi.

Fill a large pot with water


add kosher salt (I ran out)


and bring to a boil (I went a little out of order
due to force of habit)


top with a small amount of olive oil

and ½ teaspoon of minced garlic bring to a boil.


When water is boiling then add
the spaghetti. Cook about 6 to 7 minutes until al dente.

found the sea salt, so I added a tiny pinch since I
had already salted the water



In a 12” pan pour in the olive oil.


The oil should completely cover the bottom of the pan.
Heat on low heat.

Add the minced garlic
and shallots, (I added the onions)

and allow to cook until translucent.

Now add the whipped butter,
mushrooms,


chicken stock,


oregano, (I added the dried basil here,
but if you have fresh, add it at the end)


Lemon Garlic Garni,
(Anne sent me these spices,
they are available from Garlic Festival)


Mc Cormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning,

fresh parsley


and crushed red pepper flakes; allow to simmer.

This will reduce - then add shrimp.

Don't forget to stir and check your spaghetti


When the shrimp turns opaque (and pink) it is done.

This will happen very quickly.
Turn heat off and sprinkle with basil (if you haven't already added it.)

I didn't drain the spaghetti at first, I just lifted
it out with tongs, because you need a little of the water
anytime you have an oil based sauce

Place the spaghetti on a serving platter

then drain any remaining spaghetti into a
colander


add remaining spaghetti to the platter

Place the scampi mix on top of the spaghetti

Mix very gently


Place on individual dinner plates
Sprinnkle with grating cheese if desired

watch everyone in your house enjoy it
the way Marc did !