Linguine with Shrimp Scampi

I stole this photo from Food Network, as I forgot to take my own. My dishware isn't this rustic, nor my nails that nice. 

Ina Garten's Linguine with Shrimp Scampi is one of my easy go-to recipes for a speedy, tasty dinner. I try to keep frozen, raw shrimp on hand for situations like this. As noted on the most recent season of Top Chef (aka "Shrimpgate"), chefs say to avoid pre-cooked shrimp. It's easy to overcook and become chewy. I usually buy raw, deveined, easy-peel shrimp. Raw shrimp cook quickly (about 5 minutes in this recipe), and for those of us who are not good at planning ahead, you can defrost frozen shrimp easily by immersing them in some cool water for about 20 minutes. You do need to then peel them, but it's pretty quick and easy to do once defrosted.

I go off of Ina's recipe, but usually don't follow it exactly. I tend to use only about 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 to 1 1/2 of olive oil when making the sauce. I usually zest the lemon, and squeeze in lemon juice, but don't always use lemon slices. And I almost always forget about parsley (unless I luck out and it's laying around the house). All of those ingredients (more butter and olive oil, including the lemon slices or parsley, etc.) do add a stronger flavor -- but I think it's pretty tasty even without them!

It is fast to whip up with ingredients you have in the house already, and makes for a tasty and fresh dinner. Pasta is always a fave of mine (and Paul's), and doing something different than a marinara sauce kind of mixes it up a bit. Some lemony pasta with a green salad works well in the summer -- or during this warm spell we're having in spring! Enjoy!