I "Heart" Shrimp

Shrimp. It's so delicious! But not all shrimp are created equal. I love this recipe (Chris does too), but it's really important to use fresh, raw shrimp. I made this same recipe for Chris' buddies in California (yes, I even cook on vacation), but I used frozen, raw shrimp. Even though the shrimp still needed to be cooked, it turned out to be kind of "rubbery" in the end. We didn't have a choice though, since they live in a very small town and that's all that was available! This recipe is surprisingly easy, but tastes like you spent hours preparing it. Shrimp lovers, you have to try this!

Shrimp Scampi


Ingredients:


3/4 package of angel hair pasta
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 c. semi-dry white wine
2 Tbsp. dry unseasoned bread crumbs
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Parsley for garnish (optional)


Directions:


1. In a large saute pan, melt butter over medium heat and saute garlic until tender. Add shrimp and cook until pink. Stir in white wine. Stir in bread crumbs (starting with 1 tablespoon) until desired thickness is reached. 
2. Cook angel hair pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente.
3. Drain pasta and add to shrimp/sauce mixture. Toss ingredients. Top with Parmesan cheese if desired and garnish with parsley.




Alissa's notes: Garlic gets bitter when it's overcooked, so add the shrimp just as the garlic starts to get tender. You don't want the garlic to brown. I used White Truck California White Wine. If you need tips on peeling and deveining shrimp, here's a good video (copy and paste into web browser):


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOTMQ2oXdLE