I’ll probably suck it up and make focaccia. In a way it’s easier because there’s nothing to do last minute like there is with angel hair pasta.

I always like a rice pilaf with shrimp scampi.

Thanks @party_music50 do you have a recipe recommendation?

Oh what a wonderful meal -- I love Ina's baked shrimp scampi!

I almost always serve asparagus with it (85%) or second choice is broccoletti. I always serve pasta with it too but the baked component with the shrimp can definitely stand on its own.

@localeater I just wing it with butter & OO, rice, onions, celery, and chicken broth.... very much like this highly-rated recipe:

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/rice_pilaf/

eta: I've never added cayenne pepper to a rice pilaf. I would omit it in this case.

You could make simple wild rice as a side, easy to make ahead. Somehow, wild rice seems to have fallen out of favor as a side dish. I don't know why.

I think adding asparagus and foccacia sound delicious. Now I am hungry!

Shrimp scampi with some kind of rice blend (like white/brown/red/wild) with a tossed salad sounds delish. If I wanted to add a veggie side, I love broccoli with lemon (ties in with the shrimp) which can be oven roasted or done in a casserole with lemon and garlic. I'm a bread lover so foccacia sounds good or even a sliced crusty bread with butter would be fine by me! What time should I be there?

I'm a fan of polenta - esp. sliced and baked with lashings of olive oil - which is easy to prep ahead.

And shrimp and grits is a classic combo 🙂

Lemon rice. Still pretty last minute but in a pinch, it will hold for a little while, unlike pasta.

The recipe came from La Bonne Cuisine a New Orleans community cookbook. I can’t remember which group. Maybe one of the Episcopal churches? It is one of my go to recipes. I’m sure any dry white wine could be substituted for the vermouth.

the baked shrimp scampi recipe Local is making has delicious "chunks" of browned panko, shallot and parsley that i find at odds with pilaf ... maybe not so much with plain rice but not sure. I always make pasta with it.

I know Local knows the dish lol.. but for others, not sure the image will help but it is not your standard scampi in just a butter lemon sauce

Thanks for sharing the picture Funky and for those who have never made it, its a great recipe. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/baked-shrimp-scampi-recipe-1944624.amp

I’ve decided to make foccacia, and roasted broccoli as well as a salad. Thanks for your assistance and suggestions.

AHA! I didn’t look it up. Thanks for the pic, Funky. It is more of what I think of as ”stuffed shrimp” than shrimp scampi. I was thinking of something that would soak up the sauce. After seeing the pic, I vote for something green like asparagus or sauteed spinach, or roasted broccoli.

I think that is a great plan, Local ... it will be wonderful!

And yes, Bbstx, I understood what you all were envisioning because i have made and eaten both the traditional and the baked scampi dishes.

Mm - that looks good!

Noting that's a lot of butter - but it breaks down to 2Tbs. per serving. But who's eating just one serving, I wonder? 😄

I cut the butter quite a bit ...

I was thinking that using half olive oil would make it a little bit healthier...

Carol, to be honest I just dont think it needs all the fat -- of any kind. But you cant really sub EVOO because it isnt a wet mixture. The butter is mixed with the panko, parsley, garlic etc into a chunky paste that is laid on the shrimp and melts into a sauce.

I am curious if others cut the butter also-- and if so, how much. Do you Local?

Dinner was a success. @Funkyart Similar to you in the Baked Scampi recipe I cut the butter amount I do not sub olive oil. I used 7 tablespoons, 1 short of a stick, not 12.

It was a perfect easy dinner.