When I was a little girl my grandparents used to take all of the grandkids to this wonderful Italian restaurant called Mario’s in Millburn, New Jersey. It was one of those classic Italian restaurants, dark paneling and red banquettes and it made you feel all grown-up inside. They served all the standard Italian fare but I almost always ordered Shrimp Scampi. It was served over crisp pieces of toast that were simply swimming in butter and garlic. I would devour every bite, it was that good.

This recipe is a bit different and though not swimming in butter, still absolutely delicious.  It comes from one of my favorite cooks, Ina Garten.  You can find it in her cookbook Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients

Here goes, and don’t skimp on the garlic!  If you try this, leave me a comment, I’d love to hear how it turned out!

Ina puts her shrimp cut side down but mine kept flipping to the side so I left them that way.

Baked Shrimp Scampi

Serves 4

• 2 pounds (12 to 15 per pound) wild caught shrimp in the shell
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 extra-large egg yolk
• 2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

1. Peel, devein and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on.
2. Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and toss gently with the olive oil, wine, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature while you make the butter and garlic mixture.
3. In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until combined.
4. Starting from the outer edge of a 14-inch oval gratin dish, arrange the shrimp in a single layer cut side down with the tails curling up and towards the center of the dish.
5. Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp.
6. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the shrimp. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and bubbly. If you like the top browned, place under a broiler for 1 minute. Serve with lemon wedges.

Kate’s Tips

• This is a great dish to prepare ahead.  Assemble the dish and then refrigerate until you are ready to cook it.
• Serve with crusty Italian bread or hot rice and a big salad.
• Baked Shrimp Scampi would be wonderful served over angel hair pasta with a big green salad.
• You can find Panko bread crumbs everywhere now.  They really give the scampi a nice crispy texture but regular bread crumbs work fine too.