This Garlic Butter & Vermouth Shrimp is my back-pocket recipe. It’s easy enough for a weeknight meal, yet fancy-pants enough to serve to dinner guests–essentials for any back-pocket recipe. I have served this several times to people who don’t eat meat but do eat fish, so they aren’t just eating platefuls of sides. I also serve this to myself when I’m having solo dinner or fancy-ass lunch because Sean isn’t super enthused about shrimp but, I am…so, more for me!
Like I said, this dish is EASY. The shrimp comes together in minutes, and the tomatoes, while totally optional, bring a nice pop of juicy sweetness that sort of blends into the buttery sauce from the shrimp. Both parts require minimal ingredients but result in maximum flavor. I like to keep frozen, peeled shrimp in the freezer for quick meals like this–it’s a total time saver and has rescued meal time for me more than once. I use vermouth in this recipe because it’s affordable (win) and a type of fortified wine–which means it’s fortified with a spirit. What does that mean?! It means that once you open the bottle, it’s good for a long time at room temperature (think weeks, months), making it great to use just a little at a time, without worrying about using the whole bottle in a few days.
This shrimp is great served over pasta or with just straight up chunks of crusty bread for sopping up the sauce. Speaking of the sauce–it’s just lots of garlic, BUTTER, and a healthy splash of vermouth to bring it all together. The result is a rich, garlicky coating for the shrimp and a sauce that just begs to be soaked up by some carby goodness.
- 2 unsalted tablespoons butter, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- pinch of chile flakes
- 6 medium-sized shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ¼ cup dry vermouth
- dash of salt
- ¼ lb. cooked and drained pasta
- 1 tablespoon chopped, fresh
parsely - for the tomatoes:
- 1 lb. tomatoes, any kind you like (on the vine is pretty)
- olive oil
- salt
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment and place the tomatoes on the sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and begin to caramelize. While the tomatoes roast, cook your pasta according to the package instructions and make the shrimp.
- For the shrimp, heat a skillet over medium and add 1 tablespoon of the butter to melt, add the garlic and chile flake and cook, stirring until fragrant–about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and cook until pink on one side, flip the shrimp and add the vermouth. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook until the shrimp are pink on the other side. Remove the shrimp to a plate and set aside. Continue cooking the sauce until it reduces by about half. Stir in the remaining butter, add the shrimp and stir to coat. Remove from the heat and season with salt to taste. Place the cooked pasta in a bowl, top with the shrimp and some of the tomatoes. Pour the sauce over the shrimp, pasta, and tomatoes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
My Dish is Bomb
I didn’t know that about vermouth! I’m definitely going to have to buy some, I am always afraid of buying liquors I don’t use often because I don’t want them to go bad. This dinner looks delicious and a great dish for guests!
Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough
Ooooo, I’m totally hitting up this recipe for my next fancy-ass solo lunch!
Mary @ The Kitchen Paper
Dude. That pasta is OUT OF CONTROL! What a fun shape! (umm and this sounds delish. obviously. !!!)
Eileen
This shrimp sounds so good! I love how fast and easy it is to make. I need to add this to my list of things to make when I need immediate dinner!
erin
Love slow roasted tomatoes so much. Even thought they’re a summer thing, I made some on the weekend. Damn food not playing by the seasons any more!
Christine
I am excited to make this and I love collecting cool pastas. Sooooo…if it’s not too indelicate of a question…what kinda pasta is you playing with homie?
Dulcie
Just doubled the recipe for dinner tonight! Delish!
Cindy
Yay! I’m so glad! Thanks for commenting, Dulcie!