Life As She Does It is a quadrant of talents that can be used to make life easier. One of the quarter pieces is being a boutique caterer. It even makes my own life easier!

I had a business lunch meeting, which to me means business would be discussed at a meeting where we ate (obs), but I would be in charge of the LUNCH! It only made sense! It’s a way I control the ingredients AND get to show off a little cooking prowess!

I wanted something hearty-yet-light, delicious, and EASY! I went with shrimp scampi pasta, and it was truly all of those things! It was also a nod to the goodbye to February with the gorgeous red-hued shrimp that when paired with another makes the shape of a heart, and hello to March with the green of the broccli gems I added!

I had a lot to do to prepare for the meeting itself, so this had to be as simple as possible to put together, but taste complex as though a michelin star chef had prepared it!

I'm sharing it with you because this would make a great brunch, lunch, dinner, or snack! Ya scamp!

SHRIMP SCAMPI PASTA

1 box spaghetti (I use low-glycemic pasta for the low-carb effect!)

1 head broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces

high-heat oil (hho), like avocado

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, (tails on for that classic scampi feel!)

1-750 ml bottle of sauvignon blanc (see notes)

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 1/2 sticks butter

sea salt, to taste

course black pepper, to taste

1 tbs paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

parsley, minced

Cook pasta according to instructions (see notes). During the last minute of cooking, add your broccoli. Strain and rinse all with cool water to stop the cooking process. Leave in the strainer, and heat a heavy skillet (I use my cast iron!) on high heat for about two minutes or until slightly smoking. Add enough hho to just barely cover the bottom. Add your shimp (see notes) and cook for about one minute on each side. Remove from heat and set aside. In the same pan you made your shrimp over medium-high heat, add the wine. Let it reduce to about half, add the lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Add your butter, one pat at a time, whisking whilst you work until it's all melted and the sauce seems thickened and slightly frothy. Add your seasonings and let simmer for another thirty seconds or so, and remove from heat. Place pasta / broccoli mix into a large bowl, add your shrimp and pour scampi sauce over. Mix gently with tongs until pasta, shrimp, and broccoli are coated. Sprinkle with parsley and you're ready to eat!

NOTES: Buy two bottles of the sauvignon blanc...one for cooking, one for drinking! You can use any white wine you like, but there is something about sauvignon blanc that lends a crisp, light taste. Be sure you salt your pasta water BUT GOOD! It will not only flavor the pasta, but in this case, the broccoli as well!