Easy Shrimp Scampi Recipe
This easy shrimp scampi recipe gives you restaurant quality seafood pasta at home. With only a handful of ingredients and a quick cook time, this delicious shrimp scampi is perfect for date night dinner or easy entertaining at home. Make this flavorful pasta this weekend for a delicious meal in the comfort of your own home.
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I love making all kinds of pasta at home. Not just standard marinara, but fun, fancy feeling pastas like this easy shrimp scampi recipe or this ridiculously simple bruschetta pasta or this The Best Shrimp Caprese Pasta
That’s the thing- it is ridiculously easy to make a delicious pasta dinner worthy of any special occasion like Valentine’s Day, Christmas Eve, or an anniversary.
This easy shrimp scampi recipe is buttery and rich while still feeling light and fresh from the lemon. A little white wine and garlic and you’re eating pasta worthy of a 5 star restaurant.
In my humble opinion, it’s far easier to make a special pasta dish than it is to get a babysitter for the kids, try to wriggle my way into actual pants and not pajama pants, and head out for a nice dinner.
But that’s just me I guess.
Shrimp Scampi – The Easiest Fancy Pasta Ever
Or it’s not. Because this recipe is really simple and fast. Honest to goodness, it takes less time to cook the shrimp and lemon wine sauce than it does to boil the water and cook the pasta. That means this yummy dinner can be yours in less than 20 minutes.
Which again, is less time than it takes me to find a sitter or decide what pants I want to wear on a date. (Spoiler- I always end up in black leggings. ALWAYS)
And it doesn’t use any weird or hard to find ingredients. Just basic things that you can find in any grocery store.
Ingredients and Kitchen Equipment
To make a delicious, restaurant quality seafood pasta, you don’t need much just:
- Shrimp. I like to use large shrimp (20-24) count or larger if I can find a good price on them. I prefer to buy the pre cleaned shrimp but feel free to buy the ones with the shells on, just realize you will have to remove the shells and possibly devein the shrimp first.
- Lemon. Fresh lemon juice is crucial to this. Don’t substitute with a bottled juice. The juice of 1 lemon should be enough. For an extra pop of bright lemon flavor, add the zest of the lemon too.
- Butter. Butter creates the rich base of the scampi sauce. I prefer to use unsalted butter so you can better control how salty your pasta is.
- White Wine. Scampi traditionally uses a dry white wine, but use any white wine you enjoy drinking. I personally like Reisling and Pinot Grigio so that’s often what I use.
- Garlic. Fresh garlic and lots of it. I almost always press my garlic when I cook with it so it almost melts into the sauce. If you want a more subtle garlic flavor, you could lightly smash a couple of whole peeled garlic cloves with the back of a knife to release the flavor. Then cook the shrimp and sauce with the cloves in the pan and pull them out prior to serving.
- Pasta. I like linguine in shrimp scampi. The thicker noodle stands up well to the buttery sauce. But a lot of people like angel hair or thin spaghetti. Whichever your preference, the shrimp scampi will taste amazing.
- Garnish. You may want to have Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, or parsley to garnish the shrimp scampi when done.
Kitchen supplies you may need:
- Garlic Press. Really can’t live without my garlic press. It saves a lot of time, and this particular model comes with a garlic peeler which also makes peeling the cloves much easier.
- Pasta Pot with Strainer Lid. We have this exact model and it works great. You don’t need to worry about a strainer or colander. You just twist the lid holders and pour the water right out into the sink.
- Lodge 15 Inch Cast Iron Skillet. Cast iron skillets work really well for easy shrimp scampi and lots of other recipes.
How to Make This Easy Shrimp Scampi Recipe
1. Cook your pasta.
Follow the package’s directions for cooking the pasta.
Angel hair is a popular option for shrimp scampi, but you can go with thicker noodles like spaghetti or even fetuccini.
2. Prepare the shrimp.
As you bring the water to a boil, place the shrimp* into a small bowl with half the lemon juice, pressed garlic, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Toss it altogether and let it sit for a few minutes.
*If you did not get cleaned shrimp, make sure to remove the veins and shell. You can keep the tail on if you desire or remove that too.
3. Cook the shrimp.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes before flipping.
Cook an additional 60 to 90 seconds or until the shrimp is pink on both sides and opaque. Then add the white wine and bring it to a simmer.
4. Simmer and add the pasta.
Let the shrimp and white wine simmer for 3 minutes.
Add the cooked pasta, then give everything a toss, finishing with the remainder of the lemon juice and the lemon zest.
And if you’re feeling fancy, sprinkle on some parsley and Parmesan cheese for a finishing touch.
And dinner’s done!
Serving Suggestions
Honestly, I’m one of those people that could eat a pound of pasta and nothing else.
But if you feel like your meal should be a little more well rounded I’d make a light salad like this strawberry salad to start.
You could also make these garlic parmesan Brussels sprouts or roasted asparagus as great sides.
Of course, you could serve shrimp scampi with your favorite side salad, garlic bread, and glass of wine.
Storing Leftovers
If you make a little too much or want to make some extra, storing shrimp scampi is pretty easy.
Once it cools, place the scampi pasta into an air tight container and store in the fridge for up to about 2 to 3 days.
To reheat, you can microwave it to make everyone at work super happy with you. Or you could melt a little butter in a pan and toss the pasta until it is fully warmed through.
What is the sauce of shrimp scampi made of?
My easy shrimp scampi uses a sauce made of reduced white wine, butter, lemon juice, and garlic. You can also add in some salt and pepper and parsley.
What’s the best wine for shrimp scampi?
In most cases, you will want to use a dry white wine. But if you want to experiment with different flavors, a sweet white wine – like Riesling – can add a bit of a sweeter note.
Can I skip white wine in a recipe?
Yes, you can easily skip white wine and still make a great shrimp scampi. To do this, you just want to add a bit more butter and lemon juice until you get the consistency in the sauce you like. And if you don’t have more of either, you can add a bit of water to add moisture to the sauce.
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t over cook your shrimp! About 2 minutes on each side works well. Keep in mind, you are going to saute them then in wine while it cooks off. If they cook too long, they will shrivel and become dry.
- Butter makes a rich sauce, but if you want to skip it, you could use olive oil instead. It won’t be as rich, but it will work.
- Use your favorite pasta noodles to make the shrimp scampi. Both thin and thick noodles work, so you can make it the way you want to.
Easy Shrimp Scampi Variations
This easy shrimp scampi recipe is a great basic shrimp scampi.
Two great variations on this recipe include the Christmas shrimp scampi variation with green asparagus and red bell pepper for a pop of extra festive colors.
Or – when you want something a bit spicier – chipotle shrimp scampi is the way to go.
You could also add crab, lobster, or both for a really simple seafood pasta.
Other Easy Seafood Recipes
Some of my favorite home date night meals are pasta recipes like this shrimp scampi. If you’re looking for some other meals worthy of a special night in try these:
- Brown Butter Lobster Pasta
- Crab Risotto
- Shrimp Risotto with Garlicky Kale
- Easy Lobster Scampi Linguine
- Lobster Risotto
- Shrimp Caprese Pasta
- Lobster Alfredo
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Check out my Easy Shrimp Scampi Web Story.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces of linguine
- 1 pound of large or extra large shrimp peeled and cleaned
- 4 tbs butter
- 1/2 cup your favorite white wine
- 4-6 cloves of garlic pressed
- the juice and zest of 1 lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese to garnish
Instructions
- To make this easy shrimp scampi, start by cooking your linguine according to the directions on the package.
- Put the shrimp into a small bowl with half the lemon juice, the pressed garlic, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Toss it together until the shrimp are well coated in the garlic and lemon juice.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes before flipping. Cook an additional 60 to 90 seconds or until the shrimp is pink on both sides and opaque.
- Pour in the white wine and bring it to a simmer. Let it simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add the cooked pasta, then give everything a toss.
- To finish, add the remainder of the lemon juice and the lemon zest. You can also sprinkle on some parsley and Parmesan cheese for a finishing touch.
