Easy Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp scampi is a very easy dish to make. It is simply shrimp sautéed in olive oil and garlic then steamed in wine. I’ve added a few personal touches (like lots of green things) to make it a healthier meal. I also like to serve this on pasta or rice.

One thing to remember is that the dish takes on a lot of the characteristics of the wine that you use, so choose a wine you like to drink, then have a glass with dinner. Dry wines like chardonnays or dry vermouth work best. You can make this dish using shrimp with tails on or off. Tails-off is certainly easier to eat, but keep in mind that leaving the tails on adds a lot of flavor to the sauce.

Special dietary restrictions: Gluten-free: serve with rice or gluten-free pasta (not regular pasta or bread) Paleo: serve with steamed veggies, (not rice, pasta or bread)

Makes: 2 servings

Preparation time: 10m
Cooking time: 10m
Total time: 20m

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 5 garlic cloves (minced or pressed)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 pound large raw shrimp (cleaned and deveined, tails on)
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine (or vermouth)
  • 1-2 teaspoons capers
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 3-4 cups hearty greens (chard/collard greens/kale/spinach/etc)
  • salt and pepper (to taste)
  • 1 lemon
  • prepared rice, pasta, or crusty bread (see notes above about dietary restrictions)

Equipment: skillet, large bowl

Instructions:

  1. If serving this dish with pasta or rice you will want to have that started already.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
  3. Sauté the garlic and oregano over medium heat until the garlic starts to brown (3-5minutes).
  4. Add the shrimp, then the wine and capers.
  5. Cook for 3-4 minutes on one side then flip them over halfway through cooking to make sure both sides are evenly done.
  6. Once the shrimp are cooked through, remove them from the heat and add the chopped parsley.
  7. Place the greens in a large bowl then tip the entire contents of the skillet onto the greens. You want to use hearty greens that will stand up to the heat. I prefer a mixture of baby spinach, baby kale and baby chard.
  8. Toss the greens and shrimp together until well mixed then serve warm with pasta, rice, or crusty bread.