[1] A favorite at Italian restaurants: Shrimp Scampi on a bed of linguine. Here’s the recipe (photo © DeLallo Foods).

[2] Shrimp Scampi, in garlic lemon butter (photo © Epicurean Butter, which sells garlic butter ready to use).

[3] Authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese from Italy. Parmesan is a version from the U.S. or other country (photo © Whole Foods Market).

April 29th is is National Shrimp Scampi Day, one of the most popular recipes at Italian restaurants, often served atop a plate of linguine. (In fact, shrimp is America’s favorite seafood, by far.)

The recipe can be quite simple: shrimp sautéed in garlic lemon butter. The recipe below is a bit more elaborate, adding a topping of Parmesan and bread crumbs.

Feel free to use the simpler version, and eliminate the cheese, bread crumbs and the broiler.

Prep time, including the broiled topping, is 20 minutes. Serve with a green salad and light-bodied white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.

Below:

> Shrimp Scampi recipe.

> Why is it called Shrimp “Scampi?”

> More delicious shrimp recipes.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The history of Shrimp Scampi.

> The different sizes of shrimp.

> The history of shrimp.

> The different types of seafood: a photo glossary.

> The year’s 60+ fish and seafood holidays.
 
 
RECIPE: SHRIMP SCAMPI

Ingredients For 4 Servings

 
Preparation

1. COOK the pasta according to package instructions.

2. SAUTÉ the garlic in the butter and oil in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, until fragrant. Add the shrimp, lemon juice, pepper and oregano; cook and stir until shrimp turn pink. Sprinkle with cheese, bread crumbs and parsley.

3. MOVE the skillet to the broiler, 6 inches from the heat. Broil for 2-3 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.

4. SERVE atop the pasta.

If you know Italian, you know that the word for shrimp is scampi. So why is the dish called, essentially, Shrimp Shrimp?

According to Lidia Bastianich’s Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen,” in Italy scampi are actually langoustines, small, lobster-like crustaceans with pale pink shells. They are popularly sautéed with olive oil, garlic, onion and white wine.

That’s why you may hear people joke that the dish translates as “Shrimp Shrimp,” but it actually translates as “Shrimp Langoustine.’
 

[4] Ina Garten’s Shrimp Scampi recipe is pretty much the same as the one above (photo © Taste Of Home).
 
 

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*If you prefer the dish without the broiled topping, omit these ingredients.
 
†Instead of pasta, you can serve the dish with rice or other grain, or with a side of mixed vegetables.
 

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Here’s some fusion food for Cinco de Mayo from QVC’s Chef David Venable. You can make the wontons ahead of time and freeze them until you’re ready to fry and serve.

“These little wontons are such a unique way to incorporate all those Tex-Mex flavors you love in one cute package,” says David. “Cheesy, gooey and tangy, they’re the perfect treats to go with your Margaritas.”

David’s fusion is to serve a queso dipping sauce with the crunchy Chinese fried wontons.

RECIPE: MEXICAN FIESTA WONTONS

Ingredients For The Wontons

Preparation

1. PREPARE the wontons: Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Place the ground beef into the pan, sprinkle with the salt and cook until no longer pink, about 5–7 minutes. Remove the meat from the pan, drain any excess fat and place into a bowl. Set aside.

2. ADD the other teaspoon of oil to the pan; then add the onions, peppers and chiles, and cook until tender, about 3–4 minutes. Place the meat back into the pan with the cooked vegetables and add the enchilada sauce. Cook for 2 more minutes, or until the sauce is fully absorbed. Scoop the mixture into a bowl. Refrigerate until completely cooled.

3. ASSEMBLE the wontons: Brush the edges of each wrapper with water, and one by one, place 1 tablespoon of the meat filling into each. Fold the wonton in half to form a triangle and seal the edges. Brush the tips of the triangles with a little more water to join them together, and press to bind. Freeze the stuffed wontons until you’re ready to fry.

4. PREPARE the cheese sauce: Place the petite diced tomatoes and chopped chiles into a 3-quart sauce pot and cook over medium heat for 3–5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the chopped Velveeta cheese, enchilada sauce and beer and cook, constantly stirring, until the cheese is completely melted. Place the dip into a warm serving vessel and serve. When ready to serve…

5. PREHEAT a deep fryer to 350°F. Place the wontons into the deep fryer in batches and cook for 4–5 minutes, flipping them halfway through, until golden brown.

 
Find more of David Venable’s recipes at QVC.com.
  

You may be thinking ahead to purchasing champagne for Mother’s Day. But you can save a lot of money with Cava, instead.

Cava, the renowned Spanish sparkling wine, is produced in the region of Penedès, in northeast Spain, south of Barcelona.

In the late 1800s, a Spanish vintner, Josep Raventós Fatjó of the Codorníu estate, decided to experiment with making sparkling wine, using the méthode champenoise of champagne production.

His first batch was produced in 1872.

He then had a cool cellar, or cava, dug to produce more sparkling wine. It turned out to be an instant success, particularly among the wealthy.

Soon, his sparkling was being drunk by the Spanish royal family.

Other local vintners followed. Today, in addition to the two heavyweights Codorníu (cor-doan-YOU) and Freixenet (FRESH-eh-net), there are hundreds of sparkling wine producers in Penedés.

Cordon Negro in its signature black bottle. Photo courtesy Freixenet.

As with champagne, cavas are produced with different sugar levels, to please different palates and pair with different types of food. As with champagne, seco, which means dry, actually indicates a sweeter wine. Semi-seco and dulce are excellent dessert wines. Brut is best for apéritif or with food.

U.S. merchants typically carry three major brands, all of which produce varieties with different levels of sweetness:

 
As with any sparkling wine, serve cava in chilled flute champagne glasses (place the glasses in the freezer 30 minutes or more before you need them.

Chilled glasses help to keep the wine cold, and flutes help the bubbles last longer, since they need to travel a longer distance before breaking into the air.