Shrimp Saltimbocca Linguini

When it comes to restaurants, I am not a creature of habit. I almost always order something different off the menu whenever I go to a restaurant more than once, because I feel like it’s my duty as a self-proclaimed foodie to broaden my horizons when it comes to trying to new things. And also, I have a serious case of food fomo.

That being said, there are a (very small) handful of restaurants around Kansas City where I will order the same thing religiously, and one of those is at our favorite cozy Italian spot in downtown KC. I’ve been going to this restaurant for the better part of my life, and my order has only slightly evolved over the years. In my younger years it was always a full order of the most decadent, buttery, creamy, cheesy fettuccine alfredo there ever was, and now, it’s a half order of the most decadent, buttery, creamy, cheesy fettuccine alfredo there ever was AND a half order of the most delicious veal saltimbocca there ever was.

The combination of sage, salty prosciutto, and butter has become one of my favorite flavor profiles of all time, and I transport into just about everything I can think of, and today, it just so happens to be this Shrimp Saltimbocca with Linguini.

Basically, I just stole all of the flavors out of the dish, added shrimp, some capers, and pasta, and called it a day. From start to finish the whole recipe takes about 30 minutes, making it perfect any night of the week.

So the first and most tedious thing you want to do is to wrap your shrimp in prosciutto. If you have the choice, do not buy the pre-packaged prosciutto you can find near the gourmet cheeses and meats, ask your deli to freshly slice the prosciutto VERY thinly. Sometimes the prepackaged stuff is just too thick, so it makes it hard to crisp up in the short amount of time shrimp cooks. If your grocery store doesn’t offer it, no worries, just make sure to wrap the shrimp super tightly to help it along.

Once all the shrimp get wrapped up nice and tightly, they are crisped up in a little olive oil, removed from the pan, and then a good amount of butter goes in. I went ahead and took the extra step to brown the butter; it’s a one or two minute diversion, but trust me, it’s worth every bit of extra flavor. Next, the onion and garlic go in, along with a heavy hand of dry white wine, PLENTY of lemon juice, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flake.

Once the pasta is just under aldente, it gets tossed into the sauce to finish cooking, and then capers, chopped prosciutto, and parsley are mixed in to finish the pasta off.

At the last minute, all of the shrimp get nestled on top, and this Italian twist is ready to be served.

Disclosure: While I’m still 100% loyal to the original veal version, at home, this is the new way to saltimbocca.