Extra Garlicky Shrimp Scampi

You become an adult when you have 3 or 4 recipes you consistently make, each time, calling up a parent to “remind you” how to make it. This Extra Garlicky Shrimp Scampi was one of the first recipes I took on in my adult life. Possibly, because my first time out on my own, without a meal plan, was in New Orleans, where the local catch was Gulf Shrimp. But even more so, because this meal is a breeze to throw together, doesn’t require special kitchen equipment or tools and only calls for a handful of ingredients you can schlep home without a shopping bag. As simple as it was, the first dozen or so times I made Shrimp Scampi, in my 20s, I would call up my dad and have him walk me through it. “How much garlic again?” “When do you add the wine?” “What kind of wine?” As a red wine drinker, he had strong opinions about this: “It doesn’t matter. I don’t drink white wine. It’s just for cooking. Use whatever you have.” For him, that was the remains of a bottle someone left behind in his fridge at the last card game or dinner party he hosted. Works for me.

This is my dad, holding a mail box he made out of wine corks, from bottles he likely enjoyed.

If adulting is calling up your parents to reteach you how to make a recipe, well then middle age is making that recipe repeatedly, in your own way that you’ve come to adapt over the years. I’ve since added the parsley stems to my version of Shrimp Scampi, as a way to infuse more of that herbaceous flavor, and to make use of the whole bunch. I also added shallots. Occasionally, I mix in chopped spinach or kale, to ensure we’re getting a rounded meal. And I wait to add the butter so that it doesn’t risk burning and maximizes its flavor. But when I make Extra Garlicky Shrimp Scampi, I still think of my dad and usually call him to let him know what a delicious dinner I’m having that night, with a crisp glass of Sancerre or Vermentino.

Extra Garlicky Shrimp Scampi

Serves: 4-6

On my list of Culinary Quickie recipes, this meal can be pulled together rapidly, perfect for a weeknight, but is also fancy enough for a dinner party. It’s fast and filling and the recipe is written in such as way as to help you maximize your time in the kitchen.

What You Need:

• 1 pound linguine

• Kosher salt

• 1 bunch parsley

• 1 bunch scallions

• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 shallots, sliced, optional

• 5-6 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 head of garlic, about 10-12 cloves, peeled and minced 

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled & deveined

• Juice from ½ a lemon

• ½ cup dry white wine

What You Do:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add about 3 tablespoons of salt. Cook linguine until al dente (usually about 1-2 minutes less than package instructions call for). Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid, drain and set aside. 

2. Meanwhile, separate the parsley stems from the leaves. Finely mince the stems and set aside. Finely chop the leaves. Set aside separately. 

3. Trim the scallions of their root ends and frayed tops. Discard tops and ends. Finely slice or mince the white and light green parts. Set aside. Slice the green parts at an angle. Set aside separately.

4. Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add olive oil. When hot, add shallots and white/light green scallions and a few pinches of salt. Reduce heat to medium. Sauté until soft,about 2-3 minutes. 

5. Add the butter. When melted, add the garlic, minced parsley stems and a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Sauté for about 1-2 minutes. 

6. Add the shrimp, a lot more freshly cracked pepper and sauté about 3-5 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink and cooked through. (It will depend on the size of the shrimp and their temperature when being cooked.) Transfer the shrimp to a plate or bowl and set aside. 

7. Add the lemon juice and wine, if using. Stir to scrape up any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the cooked linguine and about ½ cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Gradually add more pasta cooking liquid if needed and cook until sauce is thickened. Return the shrimp to the pan. Toss to combine. Turn off the heat. Stir in the parsley leaves. 

8. Transfer to a platter and garnish with more parsley leaves, green scallion tops, and freshly cracked black pepper. 

Rustic No Fuss Eggplant Arrabbiata

Arrabbiata is a spicy tomato sauce made with lots of garlic and chili peppers. Although it literally translates to “angry,” no one, unless perhaps Tom Brady, will be angry if you make this Rustic No Fuss Eggplant Arrabbiata for dinner tonight. This dish can be adjusted, with equally delicious results, to suit vegans, those who eat gluten free, and/or eaters who are allergic to eggs! Win-win-win.

The spicy kick is not the only thing setting this apart from your average eggplant parmesan or eggplant rollatini. Those traditional configurations of eggplant, sauce and cheese are much more particular, and I dare say, unnecessary. Admittedly, I appreciate an impeccable eggplant parmesan. And my mother’s meticulously rolled eggplant rollatini, held together by toothpicks before being baked in the oven might just be the inspiration for this dish. But here’s why this Rustic No Fuss Eggplant Arrabbiata should replace all of that…well…fuss:

1. No frying. No mess. No three step dredge resulting in a once-normal hand transformed into 5 breaded thumbs.

2. It can be made gluten free — easily. See #1. Toasted breadcrumb topping is 100% optional.

3. All plant. No egg. Since the eggplant is not breaded, we skip the egg dredge.

4. Mix and match or even omit (gasp!) the cheese. Fresh Mozzarella is a classic in eggplant parmesan and ricotta makes for a luscious rollatini, but here you can use either, both, add parmesan or pecorino romano, or leave out the cheese entirely. And thus (see #3), this dish can be made vegan without any of those questionable imitation vegan “cheeses”.

5. Any sized casserole or baking dish with high sides will work. This fuss free eggplant bake doesn’t require a perfect fit, normally forcing you to transfer the partially layered contents of your eggplant bake into another better fitting vessel, three times, creating a sink full of dishes before you’ve put anything in the oven.

6. No rolling. No toothpicks. Sorry to take away your fun, mom.

7. I’m sure there is a 7th reason and perhaps even an 8th, but I want to share this with you before eggplant season has passed.

Rustic No Fuss Eggplant Arrabbiata

Serves: 4-6

What You Need:

• 2 medium eggplant

• 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

• 4-5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

• red pepper flakes (crushed red pepper), to taste

• 1 cup ricotta cheese or 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced or 3-4 tablespoons pecorino romano or combination

• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 1-2 cups Quick Spicy Tomato Basil Marinara or your favorite version

• 1/2 cup bread crumbs (seasoned if you like), optional

What You Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. If desired, peel the eggplant. (Note: I always leave the skin intact for color, flavor and nutrients but if you want your overall bite to have a more silky texture, peel the eggplant). Slice eggplant into 1/4 inch thick slabs (or rounds if that is your preference).

3. Lay the eggplant slices out in a single layer on the cutting board or baking sheets. Sprinkle liberally with kosher salt. Flip and sprinkle salt on the other side. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes so that the moisture sweats out of the eggplant.

4. Using a clean kitchen towel, pat the eggplant dry. Flip and pat dry on the other side as well.

5. Transfer to a baking sheet and drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Flip and drizzle olive oil on the other side. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, if desired. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until eggplant is golden brown and crisp around the edges, flipping the eggplant slices and rotating the pan halfway through.

6. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix cheeses together with freshly ground black pepper.

7. In a baking dish with high sides, ladle a few spoonfuls of sauce, arrange about 1/4 of your eggplant slices in a single layer over the sauce. Dollop 1/4 of your cheese mixture across the eggplant slices. Repeat until you have used all of your ingredients, finishing with a layer of sauce on top. Sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes on top, if desired.

8. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned around edges.

9. Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium high, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the bread crumbs and sauté, stirring frequently until lightly browned, about 4 minutes.

10. Remove eggplant from the oven, and top with the toasted breadcrumbs. Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.