Shrimp Scampi.

So this recipe post has been sitting as a draft for over a month now. Sorry for the delay!

Shrimp scampi is delicious, and it mixes up the typical meat and two sides dinner. I suggest giving it a try... asap. :)

For this recipe, you will need: shrimp (peeled, deveined, and tails removed), pasta (I prefer a short pasta), two slices of bacon, a shallot, two garlic cloves, a lemon, chicken stock, and parsley.

First, set your pot to boil with salty water for the pasta. While that's heating up, prep the other ingredients. Zest the lemon and cut it in half. Dice the bacon, shallot, garlic, and a handful of parsley. 

Now drop your pasta to cook until it is al dente, or has a slight bite to it still. I cooked my pasta just shy of the 11 minute cook time.

Meanwhile, saute the diced bacon in a pan until it is crispy and the fat has rendered.

Strain out the bacon, leaving a tablespoon or so of the grease in the skillet.

Place your shrimp in the hot skillet for just a minute or so on each side to ensure a good sear. The shrimp does not need to be cooked through. Be sure to avoid overcrowding in the pan. I had to sear my shrimp in two batches.  (Note: my shrimp still had the tails on and it was quite a bother trying to eat it)

After you have seared the shrimp on both sides and removed it from the skillet, toss in your shallots and garlic. Make sure your skillet is not too hot, otherwise your garlic will burn. Sauté the two until the shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add about a cup of chicken broth to the shallots and garlic. Be sure to scrape off all of the little bits on the bottom of the pan (the bits add flavor).

Then add the lemon zest and juice of one lemon. At this point, I also toss in a pinch of red pepper flakes, too.

Then add your shrimp back in to the skillet.

Add a pat of butter. This makes the sauce velvety and delicious.

Scoop out the pasta and add it to the skillet.

Toss it all together. Check the consistency of the sauce, then add one ladle-full of pasta water at a time to thin it out. You will need to use your judgment to decide how runny you would like the sauce to be.

Finally, add in the chopped parsley and crispy bacon. Toss to combine and enjoy!