Spicy Garlic Butter Shrimp with Lemon Herb Orzo

Ingredients

• 12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup orzo pasta
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced, plus wedges to serve
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• Salt and black pepper

Steps

1. Cook the orzo in well-salted boiling water until just tender, about 8 minutes, then reserve half a cup of the water and drain.
2. Toss the drained orzo with the olive oil, lemon zest, and half the parsley, and keep it warm.
3. Pat the shrimp completely dry and season them with salt and pepper. Wet shrimp release water into the pan and boil rather than sear.
4. Melt the butter in a wide skillet over medium-high heat until it foams and the foam subsides.
5. Add the shrimp in a single uncrowded layer and sear for 90 seconds without moving them.
6. Turn them, add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook for 60 to 90 seconds more, until the shrimp are pink and curled into a loose C shape and the garlic is fragrant but not browned.
7. Add the garlic at this late stage deliberately. Dropped into hot butter at the start it burns bitter long before the shrimp are done.
8. Squeeze in the lemon juice off the heat, toss once, and serve the shrimp and all the garlic butter over the orzo with the remaining parsley and lemon wedges.

Allergen note: Contains shellfish, gluten, and dairy.

Use the listed quantities as a guide, adjust seasoning to taste, and cook proteins to a safe internal temperature.