Did I mention I love Italian food?! =) Shrimp Scampi is one of those traditional, luxurious dishes that is a favorite among many. But often times, the rich sauce and pasta served alongside, makes you feel guilty after devouring it all. Here’s my fresh take on the favorite with a lighter sauce, served alongside some tasty greens that you can feel good about. You will not miss the flavor of Scampi and I feel like it’s just as comforting with the warm salad. After all, the best part is the shrimp, and they’ll be an even bigger star in this dish! Topped off with some nutty parmesan cheese, you won’t be missing that extra butter and pasta!

 -Mel

Health tips: Low fat, low carb, diabetes friendly, heart healthy

Ingredients (3 servings)

• 1 lb. (16 oz.) uncooked JUMBO shrimp, peeled and deveined (Tip: I prefer the frozen shrimp at Stater Bros. because they are already deveined and are a great quality. You just need to defrost ahead of time. I also leave the tails on for flavor and because it looks pretty.)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Zest from 1/2 lemon, plus lemon juice from whole lemon
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 shallots, diced
• Red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 14 oz. artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 6 cups of fresh arugula (or arugula spinach combo)
• Parmesan cheese, shaved (Tip: You can use a vegetable peeler or cheese shaver for fancy shavings.) or grated

Steps

1. Season the shrimp with a large pinch of salt and pepper, and the lemon zest.
2. 
3. 
4. Over medium heat, melt butter with olive oil and white wine in a large skillet. Cook the shallots, garlic and red pepper flakes until the shallots start to soften and become translucent and lightly golden, about 3-4 minutes.
5. 
6. Add in shrimp and cook until they just start to turn pink and opaque (solid white), turning once, about 2-3 minutes. Squeeze juice from about half a lemon on top, add in parsley and toss.(Tip: Watch the shrimp closely, they can be easily overcooked. They’re perfectly cooked when they are light pink, opened up, and firm, yet fluffy.) Set shrimp aside in a separate dish.
7. 
8. In the same pan, turn up heat to medium-high and if needed, drizzle in a bit more olive oil. Quickly sauté the artichokes until golden and slightly caramelized, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Take the pan off the heat and add in arugula. Squeeze remaining juice from the other half of the lemon. Toss with artichokes and pan juices until arugula just slightly starts to wilt.
9. Serve shrimp with any leftover pan juices on top of warm artichoke arugula salad (about 6 pieces each person). Add more lemon juice, pepper and parsley on top of entire dish to taste. Top with parmesan cheese. Enjoy!