This entire menu comes in at around $9.38 for a family of four…that includes the scampi, pasta and broccoli. AND it’s not only delicious, but simple and quick…everything cooks in around 10 minutes (after you get your pasta water boiling). Super simple and tasty….and cheap…what could be better? I use whole-wheat linguine in the recipe but you can always serve the scampi over regular pasta, Asian noodles or even white rice. *And just fyi….I have used two ell’s in my recipe title because one of the ingredients is actually sweet chilli sauce and that’s how it’s spelled (just so you don’t think I don’t know how to spell!) Enjoy.
Sweet Chilli Shrimp Scampi with Pasta –
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 7-10 minutes
Serves: 4 for approx $7.89
The shrimp literally takes minutes to cook so you want to have your pasta started before you begin cooking the shrimp.
Ingredients:
- 8 oz dry pasta (I used whole-wheat linguine)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 4-5 cloves)
- 1 lb shrimp (I used medium size), peeled and deveined
- 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 small lemons)
- 1/2 cup sweet chilli sauce (you can find it in the Asian aisle at most grocery stores)
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- Grated zest of half a lemon
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Directions:
Cook pasta (or rice) according to directions on package. For pasta, use the time for al dente cooking.
In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and saute for about a minute, stirring frequently. Add the shrimp, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Saute just until the shrimp starts to turn pink, about 3-4 minutes. Add the sweet chilli sauce and cook for about another minute or two until heated through, making sure you don’t overcook the shrimp. Remove from heat and add the parsley, lemon zest and hot pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
Drain your pasta, put in a large bowl, (or back in the pot) and immediately add the shrimp and sauce. Toss well and serve.
Sesame-Soy Broccoli:
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 4-5 minutes
Serves: 4 for approx $1.49
This is an easy way to change-up broccoli and it works well with the scampi. I prefer cooking my fresh vegetables in the microwave because you retain most of the vitamins and nutrients versus cooking them in lots of water and then draining them. This gets finished in a skillet with soy sauce and toasted sesame seeds.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb broccoli florets
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Directions:
Wash the broccoli and put in microwaveable dish with lid. Add about 1 tablespoon of water and cover. Cook on high for about 2-3 minutes, checking after 2 minutes. You want the broccoli to be tender-firm.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet (big enough to hold the broccoli) over medium heat. Add the sesame seeds and cook for about 2-3 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to toss. Don’t walk away because they can burn easily. When they have become lightly browned and smell nutty, remove from heat. Transfer the seeds to a small plate or paper towel to cool.
When the broccoli is tender-firm, drain any water left in the dish out (won’t be much, if any). Heat the skillet you toasted the sesame seeds in over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the broccoli and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Turn up the heat to high and add the soy sauce. Cook for about 30 seconds to a minute, stirring constantly. You don’t want it to burn but you do want it to become slightly darkened from the soy sauce. Remove from the heat and toss with the toasted sesame seeds.