Shrimp Scampi, Pasta als Carbonara and roasted broccoli

Southern Shrimp Scampi

KIM SEVERSON YIELD 4 servings TIME 20 minutes

Scampi can mean different things in different cultures. The British deep fry langoustines in batter. In Italy, the langoustines are often sautéed in garlic and olive oil. Italian immigrants in America swapped in shrimp, and from there a thousand variations were born. This is a dish that cooks quickly and rises or falls on good-tasting shrimp. It is worth buying shrimp with the shells on and peeling them yourself.

(The New York Times Company has partnered with Chef’d to make available a meal kit version of this recipe, here.)

Featured in: Cooking With The Locals. 

• 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 ¼ pound large shrimp, preferably wild American shrimp (16/20 or 21/25 count), peeled and deveined

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• ½ cup wine

• 6 tablespoons butter

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

345 calories; 25 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 1

gram polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 19 grams

protein; 224 milligrams cholesterol; 808 milligrams sodium

1 In a bowl, toss garlic, salt and pepper with the shrimp, which may be refrigerated, well covered, for several hours at this point.

2 When ready to cook, heat oil in a large sauté pan over high heat until it shimmers, then add shrimp and move shrimp around in the pan for about 2 minutes, or until the color just begins to turn from translucent.

3 Remove shrimp, reduce heat to medium-high and add wine, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook for a couple of minutes to reduce, then add butter and swirl the pan to melt it.

4 Put shrimp back into pan, stir about a minute to finishing cooking and add lemon juice.

5 Remove to serving dish, sprinkle with parsley and red pepper flakes, adding more pepper if desired. Serve over rice or pasta or as is.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence

Total:25 minPrep:15 minCook:10 minYield:4 to 6 servingsLevel:Intermediate

Ingredients

1 pound dry spaghetti

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 ounces pancetta or slab bacon, cubed or sliced into small strips

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 large eggs

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving

Freshly ground black pepper

1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the spaghetti will be hot and ready when the sauce is finished; it is very important that the pasta is hot when adding the egg mixture, so that the heat of the pasta cooks the raw eggs in the sauce.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender yet firm (as they say in Italian "al dente.") Drain the pasta well, reserving 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water to use in the sauce if you wish.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium flame. Add the pancetta and saute for about 3 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the fat is rendered. Toss the garlic into the fat and saute for less than 1 minute to soften.

Add the hot, drained spaghetti to the pan and toss for 2 minutes to coat the strands in the bacon fat. Beat the eggs and Parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stirring well to prevent lumps. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/cheese mixture into the pasta, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble (this is done off the heat to ensure this does not happen.) Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches desired consistency. Season the carbonara with several turns of freshly ground black pepper and taste for salt. Mound the spaghetti carbonara into warm serving bowls and garnish with chopped parsley. Pass more cheese around the table.

ROASTED BROCCOLI WITH SMASHED GARLIC

Here’s a great way to make broccoli if you are tired of making it the same old way. Roasting broccoli with garlic creates a sweet, nutty delicious flavor and the aroma that wafts through your kitchen will make everyone asking when’s dinner ready. This is a simple, yet elegant side dish. I like it topped with shaved Parmesan but you can also add red pepper flakes or top it with fresh lemon juice.

Roasted Broccoli with Smashed Garlic

Gina’s Weight Watcher Recipes

Servings: 4 •

  • 1 1/2 lbs broccoli florets, cut long with part of stem

• 6 cloves garlic, smashed

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• kosher salt and fresh pepper

Preheat oven to 450°. In a baking dish combine broccoli, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Roast broccoli about 20 minutes, until broccoli is browned and tender.