Shrimp Scampi with Fettuccine
Both shrimp and fresh fettuccine cook very quickly, so be sure to have all of your ingredients and serving bowls ready to go before you start cooking. You want your fettuccine to remain al dente and your shrimp to be just cooked through, so take care not to overcook them.
Ingredients
For the bread crumbs:
- 3 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a knife
- 1 cup (2 oz./60 g) panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
- Kosher salt
Kosher salt- 8 Tbs. (1 stick) (4 oz./125 g) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
- 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) olive oil
- 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 lb. (750 g) large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups (12 fl. oz./375 ml) white wine or chicken, seafood or vegetable broth
- 1 lb. (500 g) fresh fettuccine
- Juice of 1 lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving
- 1/4 cup (1/4 oz./7 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
Directions
To make the bread crumbs, in a fry pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter, then add the garlic cloves. Cook until the butter is sizzling and the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Lower the heat to medium, add the panko and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, season with salt and set aside.
Bring a large pot two-thirds full of salted water to a boil over high heat.
Meanwhile, in a 5 1/2-quart (5.5-l) Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt 4 Tbs. (2 oz./60 g) of the butter with the olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant and softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the shrimp, a pinch of salt, the red pepper flakes and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook until the shrimp is just starting to turn pink, about 1 minute.
Add the wine to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine is reduced by half and the shrimp is cooked through, about 4 minutes.
While the shrimp is cooking, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 4 minutes, or according to the package instructions.
Using tongs, transfer the pasta directly to the pot with the shrimp mixture. Add the remaining 4 Tbs. (2 oz./60 g) butter and the lemon juice and toss until the pasta is coated. If necessary, add some of the pasta water a spoonful at a time, stirring between additions, until the pasta is thoroughly coated with a silky sauce.
To serve, divide the pasta among 4 individual bowls and top and with the bread crumbs. (You can either serve the crushed garlic cloves or discard them.) Sprinkle with the parsley and serve with lemon wedges alongside. Serves 4.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen