shrimp scampi.

Generally, my boyfriend and I disagree about meals. We rarely come to a full and happy agreement about what to cook, and we could probably never do the "order two meals and go halvsies" thing at a restaurant. He's a big seafood guy and prefers lighter, tomato, oil or pesto-based sauces with his pastas and meats - my palate is yawning as I type - whereas I'll rarely turn down anything rich, cheesy, creamy or fried (yup, guess who's never given a thought to their weight and who's best fashion-friend is leggings and the ever-forgiving black?) Basically, if we were to try and order calamari at a restaurant, he'd be gunning for the grilled variety with tomato olive salsa, whereas I'd be throwing a hissy fit about the deep fried with extra garlic-lemon mayo. So we just don't really share stuff.

One meal we do agree on, however, is Ina Garten's shrimp scampi. I think it's because this dish has elements to satisfy both of us: a garlicky, buttery sauce that somehow manages to be both indulgent and light, a tangy lemon-y kick and (of course) my addition of a generous sprinkling of good parmesan cheese. I photocopied the recipe from his mom's Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook a few weeks ago and it has quickly become a go-to in my small (but growing!) repertoire.   

Look at all that lemon-y goodness! 

One of the things that's so great about this dish is that it's so easy to whip up on the fly yet it feels (and looks) like a real treat. I had everything but the parsley in my cupboard when I went to make it last night, and once I had this pasta on my mind, I was willing to run to the grocery store just for that. 

Predictably, I add a few extra cloves of garlic to the recipe. I also double the sprinkling of hot red pepper flakes and toss in a couple more lemon wedges - because they're pretty and because once they've been tossed in that hot melted butter they are quite delicious. 

Excuse the varying widths of the noodles. My linguine ran out. 

Make this!