It's almost time for New Year's Eve, and we all have plans to make.

While many opt for the big party and a rousing night, I am more of a homebody. If you want the fancy meal with champagne and candlelight but can't imagine being on the road late at night, you might want to do an elegant but easy meal at home.

How about a fabulous meal centered around shrimp?

The most important thing to remember about shrimp is that it needs to be cooked quickly and as close to fresh as possible.

I personally like to cook my shrimp directly from frozen—in order to avoid any issues about thawing times or the tummy troubles that sometimes arise from "previously frozen" shrimp sold at some stores.

Many folks think that you have to thaw shrimp out overnight in the refrigerator before cooking, but I have found that if you buy frozen uncooked shrimp you have nothing to worry about. You can cook it straight through in a short period and avoid the issue of overcooked, rubbery shrimp in a recipe.

The bonuses to this method are that you get fresher flavor, a bit of liquid to add to your sauce and spend less time working on planning and preparation.

For New Year's Eve, my plan is to buy a pound of giant frozen, peeled and deveined shrimp. Add some garlic, herbs, butter and a bit of wine and you have a fabulous scampi appetizer. For color, you can add some halved cherry tomatoes.

For one great main dish, follow the same idea but add some capers, a bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a pile of linguini. Add a nice salad and garlic bread and it makes for a romantic, special Italian dinner. All prepared in less than thirty minutes—leaving you plenty of party time! Here are my recipes.

Shrimp Scampi Appetizer

(Serves 4)

(You can make this and serve it over toasted Italian bread slices or in individual casseroles.)

1 pound frozen peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp (15-20 shrimp per pound or larger)
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley
zest and juice from half a lemon
1/2 cup white wine

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large flat skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and garlic. Toss it all together and cook gently until the shrimp just starts turning opaque and pink. Add the mustard, Old Bay, parsley, lemon zest and juice and white wine, stirring to make a sauce in the bottom of the pan. Place the shrimp on toasted bread or in small casserole dishes. Cook the sauce until it is slightly thickened and pour it over the shrimp. Serve immediately.

Linguine with Shrimp and Garlic

(This recipe can be made with pasta or zucchini noodles and enlarged depending on the size of your party. If using zucchini noodles, prepare eight cups of zucchini noodles and add them to the shrimp pan at the end of cooking, tossing with the shrimp and sauce until the zucchini is just tender.)

1 pound Linguini
2 pounds frozen peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp (15-20 shrimp per pound or larger)
2 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 Tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
3 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley
zest and juice from one lemon
3/4 cup white wine
2 Tablespoons softened butter in small bits
Salt and Pepper to taste
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat a large pot of salted water until it is boiling. Add the linguini to the pot. While the pasta is cooking, take a large broad skillet over medium heat and melt the first 2 tablespoons of butter with the olive oil. Add the shrimp and garlic and cook until the shrimp is just turning opaque. Quickly add the tomatoes, mustard, Old Bay, parsley and lemon. Stir to cover all the shrimp. Then add the white wine. At this point, the linguini will be almost done. Drain it, leaving just a tiny bit of pasta water in the pot. Move the shrimp to the pot with the linguini. Finish the sauce for the linguini by stirring the sauce left in the skillet and adding in the last of the butter, bit by bit until the sauce looks silky. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Pour over the linguini and shrimp, and add the cheese at the end, tossing everything together to combine it all. Serve immediately.