Happy New Year! Wishing everyone the very best for 2020.

I’m so thrilled to announce that one of my recipes made it into Fine Cooking Magazine’s list of Top Ten Most Popular Recipes of 2019!

I’ve included the recipe below, along with a photo of the dish. It’s a really simple meal that gets a big flavor punch from roasted lemons. Don’t hesitate to roast the lemons in advance to save time.

And here’s my recipe for those of you who’d like to try it. I’d love to hear back from you!

Roasted Lemon Shrimp Scampi with Linguine

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil; more as needed
• 1 medium lemon, washed, ends trimmed, and halved crosswise (about 6-1/2 oz.)
• 1/2 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 1 oz.)
• 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic; more to taste
• Kosher salt
• 10 oz. linguine
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 1-1/2 lb. extra-jumbo shrimp (16 to 20 per lb.), shelled and deveined
• 2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 1 tsp. Calabrian pepper paste or other hot pepper paste; more to taste
• 1/4 cup dry white wine

Preparation

• Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 450°F.
• Lightly brush a small foil-lined rimmed baking sheet with oil. Arrange the lemon halves flesh side up close together in the center of the prepared pan. Brush the tops lightly with oil. Roast until the lemon is puffy and just beginning to lightly brown on the edges, and the foil under the lemon turns dark brown and syrupy, 25 to 27 minutes.
• Turn the lemon halves over with tongs and rub the flesh over the dark spots on the foil to loosen the caramelized bits (the lemon flesh will turn brown). Squeeze the juice and pulp from the lemon into a small bowl, discard the seeds, and set aside. Mince the peel of one lemon half, and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the parsley, cheese, granulated garlic, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Set aside.
• Add the remaining lemon half to a large pot of well-salted water. Bring the water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook until 1 minute before al dente, according to package directions. Remove and discard the lemon. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Add the peas and cook for 1 minute. Drain the linguine and peas, and return to the pot.
• Meanwhile, pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Season with 3/4 tsp. salt. In a large, heavy skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the oil and the butter over medium heat until the butter melts. Add the shallots and cook, frequently stirring, until translucent, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and pepper paste, and cook, frequently stirring, until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine, frequently stirring until just fragrant and simmering, about 2-1/2 minutes. Add the shrimp and occasionally toss until they just begin to turn opaque 2 to 2-1/2 minutes.
• Pour the ingredients from the skillet into the pasta pot along with the reserved lemon juice, tossing with some of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if you like. Season to taste with more salt, granulated garlic, and pepper paste. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl, top with the reserved parsley mixture, and serve immediately.

Let me know what you think of this one in the comments below!

Since the Fine Cooking website was shut down, you can email me@chefdianaandrews.com for the recipe. Also, consider joining the Fine Cooking Community group on Facebook!

—Chef Diana

Giving credit where credit is due:

• Photography: Felicia Perretti
• Food Styling: Heather Meldrom