Growing up I was a pretty picky eater.  I didn’t eat most seafood, wasn’t a big fan of a lot of cooked vegetables, and don’t even think about trying to feed me anything containing a mushroom.  I must say, thanks to working in restaurants for many years, I’ve become a lot more open about the things I eat, but my Dad’s Shrimp Scampi recipe has always been something I’ve enjoyed.  The buttery garlic sauce goes perfectly with the shrimp while still being enough flavor for the pasta.  And here’s a confession: this is totally my go to recipe when I’m cooking for someone I’m dating for the first time. 

Ingredients:

– 1 c. butter
– 2 tbsp. chopped garlic (or 1 clove of fresh)
– 1/4 c. olive oil
– 1 tbsp. chopped parsley
– 3/4 tsp. salt
– 3/4 tsp. dried basil
– 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
– 1 tbsp. lemon juice
– 1 lb. shrimp (you can use either fresh or frozen – if fresh, make sure you peel & devein them)
– Pasta

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees
2. In a large pan, melt butter and add olive oil, parsley, basil, oregano, garlic, salt and lemon juice – mix well
3. Place shrimp in a shallow glass baking pan and pour sauce mixture over shrimp4. Cook pasta according to instructions until al dente
5. Bake for 5 minutes, then broil for 5 minutes longer to brown
6. Pour shrimp and sauce mixture over pasta and serve

So there you go, a totally simple recipe that seems way more impressive than it really is.  Serve with a nice cold bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and you’ve got yourself a delicious dinner that’s weeknight friendly but feels date night fancy.