Shrimp in the style of shrimp.

I like to cook, but I don't like to work; also I never have much money. So quick, easy, cheap recipes have been appealing to me ever since my mom gave me a "three-ingredient" cookbook in college (one of the ingredients was invariably Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup).

I had success last night with Ina Garten's Linguine with Shrimp Scampi. Scampi is an Italian word for a variety of shrimp, so it would seem a favorite childhood dish from Seafood Shanty was "shrimp shrimp." Garten's recipe is simple--no difficult sauce, no rare ingredients, and nothing that needs constant attention. This is right up there with my soup "au" three Campbell's soups.

Vegetable oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt plus 1 1/2 teaspoons
3/4 pound linguine (I used whole wheat)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
1 pound large shrimp (about 16 shrimp), peeled and deveined (I used frozen, peeled, uncooked shrimp--not up to Ina's standards, I know)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 lemon, zest grated
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons) (make sure you leave a quarter lemon reasonably intact for slices)
1/4 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.
Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan (I used a 12-inch Lodge cast iron), melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.

When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve. (I got good results from dumping the drained pasta into the cast iron skillet and tossing.)

Ina Garten has always seemed like Martha Stewart, except with less felony and condescension. I believe she still has 1/8 tsp condescension, though, which is about right.