Butter Me Up Scampi Bucatini
Ingredients
- Salt
- 1 pound bucatini pasta
- 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails off or large sea scallops, foot removed and patted dry
- 1 tablespoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay
- 2 lemons, 1 sliced and 1 juiced
- 1 stick butter
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup flat leaf parsley, loosely packed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/2 cup white wine or white vermouth
Preparation
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add the pasta and cook to just shy of al dente. Remove and reserve 1 cup of the cooking water.
Add the shrimp, seafood seasoning and the sliced lemon to a medium size bowl and toss to coat. Reserve.
Over low heat, melt the butter in small pot, then stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes. Let cook and bubble gently for 10 minutes. Chop the parsley and set aside.
Heat large skillet with 2 tablespoons of EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the fennel seeds and the shrimp with the lemon slices. Cook until the shrimp are pink, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in the white wine or vermouth and the juice of 1 lemon. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the parsley before serving.
Drain the pasta. Add the pasta, reserved cooking water and butter to a pasta bowl and toss until the liquids are absorbed by the pasta, about 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.
