Shrimp Scampi Cooked In Olive Oil

Shrimp scampi is sometimes served over pasta and sometimes in a casserole in which the shrimp are nestled together in a fragrant garlic sauce that you dip into with bread. Either way, it's a rich dish, cooked with generous amounts of butter and oil. You can make a lighter and just as flavorful shrimp scampi by cutting out the butter, using extra-virgin olive oil to saute the garlic and shrimp, and garnishing the dish with fresh herbs.

Sauteed Shrimp Scampi

Use between 1/3 and 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil for 2 lbs. of peeled, deveined shrimp. Heat the oil in a large skillet over low heat so that when you add the garlic -- three or four large minced cloves -- it won't brown too quickly and become bitter. When the garlic is fragrant and just turning golden, add the shrimp to the skillet, cooking them until they are pink on one side before turning them. At this point, you can add a splash of dry white wine, vermouth or sherry to the skillet and cook for another minute to reduce the pan liquids before removing your scampi from the heat and serving.

Grilled Shrimp Scampi

Grilled shrimp scampi has all the garlicky, lemony flavor of shrimp sauteed in a skillet, as well as a lightly charred flavor from the grill itself. Marinate peeled, deveined shrimp for about 30 minutes in equal amounts of extra-virgin olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice, a splash of dry white wine or vermouth, as many minced cloves of garlic as suits you, chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Use skewers to cook the shrimp on a preheated grill over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side, being careful not to overcook.

Serving Shrimp Scampi

Serve shrimp scampi with a generous amount of chopped parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon. You can serve either the sauteed version or the grilled version over cooked, drained pasta. The pan sauce of the skillet version will be sufficient to coat the pasta nicely; for the grilled scampi, toss the pasta with additional extra-virgin olive oil before adding the shrimp. Crusty, warm bread is also an excellent accompaniment that can either be dipped in the pan sauce or served with the grilled skewers on the side and olive oil for dipping.

Nutrition Information

Olive oil is a rich source of monounsaturated fat, which helps lower your risk for heart disease. It's also touted for its protective antioxidants, which counteract damage by free radicals associated with aging and cancer. Shrimp are an excellent source of protein; one serving provides almost your entire daily requirement of selenium, as well as being rich in other minerals such as iron, phosphorus, copper, zinc and magnesium. Once thought to be too high in cholesterol to enjoy regularly, studies now show that eating shrimp raises both LDL and HDL blood cholesterol levels, so a healthy and protective balance is maintained.