Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi with Linguine

Steps

1. Bring a large pot of water to a

   boil (how to boil)

   Boil Heat liquid until big bubbles rise and break all over the surface. 1. Use a pot big enough that the water fills it no more than three quarters.2. Cover it to boil faster, over high heat.3. Salt pasta or vegetable water once it boils.4. Add the food, stir, and bring it back to a boil before you start timing. Done when: A rolling boil keeps bubbling hard even when you stir. Safety: Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove, and drain pasta into a colander in the sink, pouring away from you. Steam burns fast: lift lids and foil away from your face, tipping the far edge up first.How to boil water for pasta and vegetables: mistakes to avoid

   , add the salt and cook the linguine until al dente. Save 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
   ⏱ Boil pasta: 10 min
2. While the pasta cooks, pat the shrimp very dry and

   season (how to season to taste)

   Season to taste Add salt (and pepper or acid) bit by bit, tasting as you go, until the food tastes fully of itself. 1. Season meat and vegetables before cooking, holding the salt high so it falls evenly.2. Taste the dish near the end with a clean spoon.3. If it tastes flat, add a pinch of salt, stir and taste again.4. If it tastes heavy or dull, a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar brightens it.5. Stop when another pinch wouldn't make it better. Done when: The flavors are clear and bright, not flat and not salty. Safety: Don't taste dishes that hold raw meat, poultry or eggs; season them by the recipe's amounts and adjust after cooking.How to season to taste: mistakes to avoid

   with salt and pepper.
3. Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp in one layer and cook until pink on the bottom.
   ⏱ Sear shrimp: 1 min 30 sec
4. Flip the shrimp and cook until pink and opaque all the way through (145°F / 63°C). Move them to a plate; they'll finish in the sauce.
   145°F⏱ Flip shrimp: 1 min
5. Lower the heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon butter, the garlic and pepper flakes and stir until the garlic is fragrant and pale golden.
   ⏱ Garlic: 1 min
6. Pour in the wine and lemon juice and

   simmer (how to simmer)

   Simmer Cook liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles breaking the surface now and then. 1. Bring the liquid up over medium-high heat.2. As soon as bubbles rise steadily, turn the heat down.3. Adjust until only a few small bubbles break the surface every second or two.4. Stir now and then and check that it hasn't crept back to a boil. Done when: You see lazy, small bubbles, not a rolling boil. A "bare" simmer has just a bubble here and there. Safety: Steam burns fast: lift lids and foil away from your face, tipping the far edge up first.How to simmer: mistakes to avoid

   ,

   scraping up any bits (how to deglaze)

   Deglaze Pour liquid into a hot pan and scrape up the browned bits stuck to the bottom, which hold a lot of flavor. 1. After browning, pour off all but a spoonful of fat.2. With the pan still hot, pour in wine, broth or water; it will sizzle and steam.3. Scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon or flat spatula until the brown layer dissolves.4. Let it bubble down, as the recipe says, into the base of a sauce. Done when: The bottom of the pan is clean and the liquid has turned brown and tasty. Safety: Take the pan off the flame before pouring in wine or spirits, and turn your face away from the steam.How to deglaze a pan: mistakes to avoid

   , until

   reduced (how to reduce)

   Reduce Simmer a liquid uncovered so water steams off and the flavor and body get stronger. 1. Use a wide pan; more surface means faster reducing.2. Bring the liquid to a lively simmer, uncovered.3. Stir now and then and scrape the sides back in.4. Look at the level against the pan, or dip a spoon to check thickness.5. Salt at the end, since salt gets stronger as it reduces. Done when: The level has dropped by the amount the recipe says, and it is glossy and coats a spoon. How to reduce a sauce: mistakes to avoid

   by about half.
   ⏱ Reduce: 2 min
7. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the linguine, shrimp and parsley and toss over low heat, adding pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce is glossy. Serve with lemon wedges.

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Tips

• Shrimp go from tender to rubbery fast. They're done when they curl into a loose C and are opaque all the way through.
• Thaw frozen shrimp overnight in the fridge, or in a bowl of cold water for about 15 minutes.

Storage

Best fresh. Refrigerate leftovers up to 2 days and reheat gently.

How long leftovers keep, and freezing and reheating: leftovers and storage.