Healthy Recipe, Skillet Shrimp Scampi with Corn, Tomatoes, and Peas

The classic sauce that makes shrimp scampi so sinfully delicious consists of butter, garlic, and wine, which meld in the pan with the juices from the shrimp while they cook. Quite often, it arrives on a platter in a mountain of pasta, with plenty of crusty bread for sopping up every buttery drop. This recipe fuses the best of those flavors with healthier ingredients to produce a colorful, lightning-fast, one-dish meal that won’t leave you feeling bloated afterward.

Heart-healthy olive oil replaces half the butter. Other vegetables and herbs will work well in this dish, so long as they only require a minute or two to heat through. The most important key to this dish’s success is cooking the shrimp just until they’re opaque throughout but still tender. No one loves a rubbery overcooked shrimp. Serves 3-4. RECIPE HERE. – Susan Puckett

Ingredients

·         2 tablespoons unsalted butter

·         2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

·         4 or 5 large cloves garlic, minced

·         ½ cup dry white wine

·         Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes

·         1 pound large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

·         2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

·         1 ½ cups fresh or frozen peas

·         1 ½ cups halved cherry tomatoes

·         ½ cup chopped fresh basil, parsley, oregano, or a combination

·         Juice from ½ lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving

·         Cooked rice or spaghetti noodles for serving (optional)

Instructions

1.      In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté about 1 minute, until fragrant but not browned.

2.      Add the wine, a big pinch of salt, a few grindings of black pepper, and a few shakes of red pepper flakes. Let simmer until the wine is reduced by half, 2 or 3 minutes.

3.      Add the shrimp and sauté until they just begin to turn pink, about 2 minutes.

4.      Stir in the corn, peas, tomatoes, and the remaining tablespoon of butter. Season with another pinch of salt and cook for about 2 minutes longer, just to heat through.

5.      Stir in the herbs and lemon juice. Taste for seasoning and adjust as desired. Ladle into wide bowls or onto plates over rice or pasta, if using. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

Susan Puckett is an Atlanta-based food writer and cookbook author.