Shrimp Scampi with Orecchiette and Breadcrumbs.
For the past few weeks, I have made this recipe at least once every single week. It has become a favorite! It’s so easy and quick and it tastes phenomenal. Here’s how I make it:
I toast my panko bread crumbs in butter, and add the zest of half of a lemon…..
Quickly fry some shrimp in butter with salt and pepper….
Add more butter to the pan….
Throw in 42 cloves of garlic or however much looks right at the moment….
Add in a pinch of crushed red pepper and Italian seasoning…..
The rest of the zest from that lemon at the start….
Mince up some onion…..
Pour in your favorite white wine or chicken stock or even water…… 
Start dropping in tablespoons of butter, one at time and reduce the wine down….
While all of this is happening, drop your pasta in a boiling pot of water….
And when that is done to your liking, drop it straight into the simmering pan of goodness…
The shrimp go in with the pasta….
More zest if you have it…. or not, my family thought that this was way overboard the first time I made it….
The original recipe that I followed didn’t add this but we love it, parmesan cheese…. 
Yum!!!
I bought this specifically for this recipe and it made it so, so good… Add about a quarter cup of chopped fresh parsley….
Now you are ready to eat!
Try to restrain yourself as you add this to your bowl and add the toasty bread crumbs…. 
I followed this recipe from one of my Food Network magazines and I used the same amount of pasta and shrimp, but i did take many liberties and changed the rest of the ingredients to what I had on hand. IE: I had no shallots, so I used onions instead. I had not fresh chives so I substituted Italian seasoning. Use what you have people! It was divine!
The recipe says it will feed four people. I beg to differ. I also made Alfredo and garlic bread and we had NO LEFTOVERS any of the times that I have made this. I think that we eat like normal everyday people here at our house, but maybe I’m mistaken and we are all gluttonous pigs, but I would say with small portions this would conservatively feed four people. Keep that in mind.
Here’s the handy dandy printable.
Shrimp Scampi with Orecchiette and Breadcrumbs
Ingredients
For the breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp zest of a lemon
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (dried)
- salt and pepper to taste
For the pasta
- 12 ounces Orecchiette pasta
For the sauce and shrimp
- 2 tbsp butter or olive oil
- 2 pounds shrimp I use the frozen that has already been peeled and deveined
- salt and pepper
- 3 or 4 tsp minced garlic I use the jarred stuff
- 1/3 cup minced onions
- 1 cup white wine
- 1/2 the juice of half the lemon you used for the zest
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper
- 1 pinch dried Italian seasoning
- 4 tbsp butter, cut up
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a skillet and add the Panko. Stir until toasted. Add the lemon zest, salt and pepper and set it aside.
- Boil the pasta.
- Add the butter or olive oil to the skillet, saute the shrimp with salt and pepper until almost done, about 2 minutes. Remove from the skillet.
- Add the garlic and onions to the pan and cook for about 1 minute.
- Now add the wine, lemon juice, crushed red pepper, and the Italian seasoning to the pan. Start reducing.
- While the liquid is reducing start adding the butter one piece at a time.
- When all of this has cooked together and the wine is reduced add the pasta and the shrimp and stir. If you are adding the parmesan cheese, now would be the time.
- Add a giant serving to your bowl, to with the breadcrumbs and a dash of fresh parsley and enjoy!!