Late Summer Shrimp Scampi with Corn and Cherry Tomatoes
Late Summer Shrimp Scampi with Corn and Cherry Tomatoes is a weeknight-friendly meal that good quality simple ingredients turn into something special. This version of the classic shrimp scampi uses olive oil instead of butter, lemon juice in place of wine, and best of all is full of late summer produce. It features a jammy cherry tomato sauce with fresh pops of sweet corn that complement the natural sweetness of the shrimp. The sauce is lick-your-plate delicious, so it pairs perfectly with pasta (or crusty bread) to soak up the juices.
The sauce itself comes together in less than 30 minutes but is so good you’ll think its way more complicated than it is. If you’re looking to cut down time spent over the stove, use a fresh pasta instead of dried, which will cook much quicker. Or skip the pasta entirely and serve the sauce full of shrimp, corn, and cherry tomatoes with a good chunk of crusty bread to soak up the juices.
Ingredient Notes
This dish relies on simple but good quality the ingredients, so use the best you can find
Pasta– you want to use a long noodle like fettuccine, linguine, spaghetti, or even pappardelle; something that will easily get coated in the sauce
Shrimp– large or jumbo shrimp; I used jumbo (which means fewer to peel and devein); frozen will work but be sure to thaw beforehand
Corn– use the sweetest corn of summer- the fresher the better. If you don’t have a source of local sweet corn, use frozen. Frozen corn is frozen at its peak, so it’s much better than starchy corn thats traveled hundreds of miles to your grocery store. If using frozen corn, add in the last minute or so of cooking the tomatoes.
Cherry Tomatoes- use the freshest cherry tomatoes you can find, ideally ones just picked and still warm from the sun
Fresh Herbs– parsley and basil
Garlic, Red Pepper Flakes, Parmesan, Lemon to add depth of flavor
Late Summer Shrimp Scampi with Corn and Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 lb linguine or other long pasta
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil divided, plus more for serving
- 1 lb large or jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined
- salt and pepper
- 5 cloves garlic peeled and sliced
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 c corn from about 2 ears
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1 c fresh herbs mix of parsley and basil
- ¼ c grated parmesan
Instructions
- First get the pasta started: bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add linguine and cook according to package directions until the pasta is al dente. Before straining the pasta, remove 1 c of pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta.
- Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in large heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook 1-2 minutes per side, until they turn pink. Transfer shrimp to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pan still over medium heat, add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and corn, season with ½ tsp salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes start to blister and burst, and corn is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside until pasta is cooked.
- Add the shrimp, cooked pasta, and ½ c of reserved pasta water to the pan with the sauce; mix well. Top with lemon juice, chopped herbs, parmesan, remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil, and more salt to taste. Toss to mix, adding more pasta water if needed. Serve immediately with a drizzle of olive oil on top.
Easy and very rewarding recipe!! I didn’t have corn but will add that next time.
Glad you loved it!