Shrimp Orecchiette with White Wine and Lemon Butter is a light and satisfying summer dish that pairs perfectly with a crisp, unoaked Chardonnay from Mer Soleil.
Just in case you haven’t noticed, there are not a lot of recipes on Superman Cooks using shellfish. The reason is simple: I am not able to eat it. I do, however, enjoy preparing it. Jackie, on the other hand, adores shellfish, but she hates to cook it. To me, that sounds like a match made in heaven. This Shrimp Orecchiette with White Wine and Lemon Butter is one of those dishes that makes me feel good preparing because I know that Jackie will thoroughly savor and enjoy every last bite. Just the look in her eyes when I set the finished plate in front of her is enough for me to make it again and again.
It is tough in our house, because I am the “lone wolf” who does not eat shellfish. Since I do most of the cooking, that means that the dinner menu rarely includes my family’s favorite seafood entrées. It feels like a special occasion when I announce that we are having shrimp for dinner. In this case, it was a special day. Our friends at Wagner Family of Wine asked us to create a unique pairing for their Mer Soleil Silver Unoaked Chardonnay. The crisp, clean flavor with citrus overtones begged to be paired with a light seafood dish.
I chose to use orecchiette pasta for this recipe because it is easy to eat, and it holds the flavor of the white wine and herb butter sauce beautifully. I added bright green sugar peas and garlic scapes from the farmers’ market, which I believe created a colorful and well-rounded dish. I couldn’t help but partake in a glass of the Mer Soleil Silver as I was preparing this meal, and I made my portion substituting the shrimp with grilled chicken breast. Either way, this dish is light and satisfying– the perfect summer dinner to enjoy outdoors. Don’t forget to make extra, as the flavors hold up well when heated up for lunch the following day.
This post is sponsored by our friends at Wagner Family of Wine. All opinions are our own.
You can purchase the delicious Mer Soleil Silver Unoaked Chardonnay here.
- 8 oz pasta (we used orecchiette)
- 6 oz shrimp, raw (peeled and de-veined)
- 4 oz sugar snap peas
- 4 oz fresh green peas
- ½ C garlic scapes, diced (or use green onion)
- ¼ C olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 3 Tbsp butter
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 C Mer Soleil Silver Unoaked Chardonnay
- Parmesan cheese to taste
- Salt
- Pepper
- 4 basil Leaves
- Cook Pasta "al dente" (approximately 8 minutes) and drain.
- In a sauté pan, add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Place shrimp in pan and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat.
- Turn shrimp over and cook for an additional minute.
- Remove from pan and set aside for later.
- Add sugar peas and garlic scapes to sauté pan and cook for 4 minutes, tossing frequently.
- Add remaining Oil and cooked pasta and 1 garlic clove (left whole)
- Saute for 2 minutes.
- Add white wine, fresh green peas, cooked pasta and shrimp to sauté pan and cook until most of the wine is evaporated (about 3 minutes)
- Remove from heat, then add butter and juice of lemon.
- Stir until butter is melted.
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Transfer to serving plate and grate Parmesan cheese to taste over top.
- Garnish with julienned basil leaves.
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