Shrimp Scampi with White Wine Sauce

At least once a week my boyfriend and I go to Olivia's Restaurant and/or Krueger's Flatbread in downtown Haverhill, MA.  Owned by the same family, both restaurants never cease to amaze me.  The service is always exceptional and the atmosphere is so quaint and cozy with the open brick oven and dim lighting.  Krueger's is known for their famous flatbread pizza (the Aloha, Bradford Square, and Hillie are my top three) and is more of a casual dining experience, while Olivia's serves more upscale entrees and is quite popular for couples both young and old.  Both restaurants have a full service bar and serve mainly Italian food with a twist of Greek flavor, which brings me to their Shrimp Scampi.   This is absolutely my favorite dish at Olivia's and I love making it at home too.  The trick, add a little feta cheese and some grape tomatoes.  Not only is it a different way to prepare the shrimp, but it also adds a little more color for a beautiful presentation!

Unfortunately the photo below was the best I could do at the time because my camera was dying on me. But you'll get the idea :)

Ingredients: 

1 1b Linguine 

1 1b shrimp (I usually buy the pre-cooked frozen shrimp)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 olive oil

4 tbsp butter

1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped

1 lemon juiced and 1 tbsp lemon zest

4 garlic cloves chopped

1 shallot finely chopped

Parmesan cheese

Feta cheese

Grape tomatoes whole or diced 

Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Pinch of oregano (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Add linguine and a little salt.  Let linguine cook about 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally.  Once done, drain the water and mix in a little salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and butter to taste (just about a pinch of each ingredient). 

In a large frying pan, melt half of the butter (2 tbsp) and half of the olive oil over medium to high heat.  Once the oil begins to boil a little, sauté the garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano and shallots until the shallots become translucent.  Meanwhile, add a little salt and pepper (to taste) to your shrimp in a separate bowl. Add wine, lemon juice, and lemon zest.  Bring to a boil and add remaining butter and olive oil.  Once the butter melts, add the shrimp, parsley, and grape tomatoes to the pan.  Sauté for a couple of minutes.  Sprinkle as much or as little feta cheese over the shrimp just before serving. 

Pour the shrimp and juices over linguine and serve! Enjoy your meal with an antipasto salad and a glass of Pinot Grigio if you would like - I definitely do! :)

If you are in the mood for Shrimp Scampi or any other seafood dish served over pasta but do not have the time or energy to cook, then I would suggest eating out at the following restaurants: 

Olivia's - Haverhill, MA: As mentioned before, Olivia's is my absolute favorite place to order Shrimp Scampi.  Other tasty dishes include the mussels fra diavlo and linguine a la vongole (clams).  Olivia's also has an extensive wine and cocktail menu.  Try the Tango Martini - so fruity and delicious! 

Orzo Trattoria - North Andover, MA: Very similar to Olivia's but to a larger scale, Orzo's Shrimp Scampi dish will not disappoint!  Often times when ordering a seafood dish, a restaurant will go light or "skimpy" on the seafood.  However, Orzo's jumbo shrimp is plentiful and will not disappoint!

Although there are many Italian restaurants that serve Shrimp Scampi, these are two of my favorites.  If you'd like, you could also visit these other locations:

Joseph's Trattoria - Haverhill, MA (they have a bakery as well)

Salvatore's Restaurant - Lawrence, MA (on weekends they usually have live entertainment)!

Maria's Family Restaurant - Haverhill, MA (huge, huge, huge portions)!

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