Category Archives: pasta, rice & grain

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Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 1/2 pounds fresh shrimp, shelled and deveined without tails
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons white wine
  • 2 tablespoons brandy

Preparation
In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Mix thoroughly. Dredge shrimp in flour mixture.

In a large skillet, sauté dredged shrimp in olive oil for 5 minutes over high heat. Toss shrimp often to prevent burning. Transfer shrimp with a slotted spoon to a serving dish, leaving the oil in the pan.

In the same pan, sauté the garlic, shallot, parsley, and oregano over medium heat for 3 minutes; stirring constantly. Spoon the mixture over the shrimp. Return pan to the heat. Preheat your broiler for medium heat.

Pour the wine and brandy into the skillet and ignite with a match or lighter. When the flames die down, stir to loosen any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet; pour over shrimp.

Place the serving dish of shrimp in a preheated broiler for about 2 minutes.

Posted on

Pasta with Lobster, Wild Mushrooms, and Cream

Ingredients
This can be prepared with 20 ounces of large raw shrimp instead of lobster, if you like. Peel and devein the shrimp, then sauté uncovered in butter until opaque in center, about three minutes. Cut each shrimp lengthwise in half.

  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
  • 2 10- to 12-ounce frozen lobster tails, thawed
  • 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup (packed) thinly sliced fresh basil
  • 6 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 1/3 cups whipping cream
  • 1 8-ounce bottle clam juice
  • 12 ounces fettuccine
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese (about 1 ounce)

Preparation
Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add lobster tails and sauté until shells are bright red in spots, about 5 minutes. Cover skillet; reduce heat to low and cook until lobster is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Using slotted spoon, transfer lobster to work surface. Using heavy large knife, cut each tail lengthwise in half. Remove meat from shell. Cut meat crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces.

Return same skillet to medium-high heat (do not clean). Add mushrooms, half of basil, green onions, and garlic; sauté until mushrooms soften, about 5 minutes. Add cream and clam juice. Boil until sauce is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add lobster (or shrimp if using) and simmer 1 minute. Stir in remaining basil. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain well. Return to pot. Pour sauce over pasta and add cheese; toss over low heat until warmed through, then serve.

Makes 4 servings.