Wash and carefully clean the arugula. Then dry it and arrange it on a plate.

Blanch the shrimp tails in boiling water for a couple of minutes, then drain and let cool. Dry the tails, then peel and arrange them on top of the arugula.

Squeeze the lemons, collecting the juice in a bowl. Add the extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Make an emulsion using a whisk.

Dress the arugula and shrimp with this sauce and garnish the dish with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve.

Food History

Shrimp and shellfish in general were much loved by the ancient Romans. In fact, according to the written records from the time, the famous gastronome, Apicius, was so crazy for shellfish that he embarked on a long boat trip to Libia because he heard that along the coast you could find really large crustaceans. Having discovered that the stories were not true, he returned to Rome without even having set foot in Libia.
Shellfish have always held an important role in the history of food: in the Middle Ages, crustaceans were considered a symbol of the resurrection and in Modern times, they became a metaphor of haute cuisine and appear in various Flemish paintings from between the 16th and 17th centuries.
Still today, shellfish are considered to be among the most delicious and exclusive foods despite the fact that have become much more accessible.

Other suggested recipes

• Italian-style Mackerel Fillets
• Trout in Red Wine
• Breaded gilt-head fillets