April 29 - National Shrimp Scampi Day

In the USA, scampi is another term for shrimp. It is also commonly applied to a dish of shrimp served in a garlic butter and white wine sauce. The original term scampi is a culinary term for lobster. Several varieties of lobsters are known as scampi. When the simple, but delicious scampi recipe appeared in America, cooks started using shrimp instead of lobster because they couldn't always find lobster. This is why Americans consider scampi a shrimp dish not a lobster dish.

A few interesting shrimp facts:

Did you know female shrimp lay 50,000 to 1 million eggs that hatch within 12 days.

There are over 2,000 different species of shrimp worldwide.

You might be surprised to hear there are a small number of freshwater shrimp

Did you know a shrimp can swim backwards very rapidly.

For Dinner tonight make your family a simple meal of Shrimp or Lobster Scampi served over pasta.



Shrimp Scampi over Pasta

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp (about 16 to 24)
1/3 cup butter
2 tablespoons minced garlic
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh if possible
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
Pasta of your choice (for about 8 people)

Directions:
Rinse shrimp and set aside. Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic 1 or 2 minutes or until softened but not browned. Add shrimp, green onions, wine and lemon juice; cook until shrimp are pink and firm, about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Do not overcook. Add chopped parsley and salt and pepper before serving on a bed of pasta.