Lemons and Parsley and Shrimp--Oh, my!

Tonight's dinner was, again, from Barefoot Contessa: Family Style. Linguine with Shrimp Scampi was accompanied by Zucchini with Parmesan. This was, once again, a great pairing. I put a large skillet on the stove almost as soon as I walked in the door. As the skillet heated, I sliced the onions for the zucchini, my daughter sliced the zucchini. The onions slowly carmelized, then the zucchini were stirred in, browning in two batches. After developing a nice, brown crust, the zucchini were dusted with grated Parmesan and parked in the oven to keep warm.



I also started a large stockpot of water boiling. While the zucchini slowly cooked, we prepped the lemon in all its forms (zest, juice, and slices) for the scampi, minced the garlic, and chopped the parsley. Once the second batch of zucchini came off the stove, I dropped the linguini in the boiling water and started the garlic sizzling in a skillet. Dinner was on the table ten minutes later, and it was glorious. Lots of "Mmmmm's" were heard around the table, and the leftovers are packed for tomorrow's lunches. Without the zucchini, this dinner could truly be a 30-minute meal. As Rachael would say, "Yum-O!"

Garlic Prawns

Copyright 2002: Donna Hay, Modern Classics 1

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons butter

8 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes

24 medium green (raw) prawns (shrimp), peeled, tails left intact

2 teaspoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Heat four small pans on the stovetop over medium heat. Divide the oil, butter, garlic and chilli flakes between the pans and cook for 1 minute or until the butter melts. Reduce the heat to low. Divide the prawns, parsley, and a little salt between the pans and cook or 1-2 minutes each side or until the prawns are cooked through. Serve in pans with slices of crusty fresh bread or baguette.

Serves 4

(My note: I don't have 4 small pans, or 4 small burners. I just used one big pan, and cooked all the shrimp together. It was fine.)

Linguine with Shrimp Scampi

Copyright 2002 by Ina Garten

Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds linguine
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
5 tablespoons good olive oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)
2 pounds large shrimp (about 32 shrimp), peeled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Drizzle some oil in large pot of boiling salted wate, add 1 tablespoon of the salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.

Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burn easily! Add the shrimp, 1 tablespoon of salt, and the pepper, and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring ofte. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.

When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.