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This easy Shrimp Scampi Recipe is a delicious shrimp and linguine pasta dish that is tossed together in a light and bright garlic butter scampi sauce made with white wine and lemon. So good served with Homemade Garlic Bread or a healthier Roasted Cauliflower. A simple 20-minute meal!
A 20-Minute Dinner
Shrimp Scampi is an Italian pasta dish made with shrimp, pasta and a light garlicky sauce. The scampi sauce is made up of an olive oil/butter mixture, the flavor coming from the shrimp, garlic, white wine (or chicken broth), salt, pepper, and lemon juice. The best part about this recipe? It’s done in 20 minutes, thanks to the quick cooking shrimp!
What does this taste like? The result is a buttery garlic sauce with a hint of freshness thanks to the kick of lemon. Plus the white wine gives it a lot of depth, while the linguine holds the sauce and makes this dish a meal worthy of dinner time.
A Note About Shrimp
What Does Peeled and Deveined Mean?
When you buy shrimp from the store, you can buy them either fresh from the seafood counter or from the frozen foods section. Besides the fresh and frozen options, you can find shrimp still in their shells that haven’t been deveined as well as shrimp that have been peeled and deveined. This simply means the shells have been removed and the ‘vein’ (digestive tract) down the back of the shrimp have been removed. Shrimp that have been peeled and deveined are typically more expensive than the ones that have not been.
Frozen or Fresh Shrimp?
You can find good quality frozen shrimp and you can find good quality fresh shrimp! Conversely, you can find terrible frozen and fresh shrimp, too. It comes down to preference and what seems like the freshest option to you. If you do choose to go the frozen route for this Shrimp Scampi Recipe, just make sure you have defrosted it slowly in the fridge over 24 hours or in very cold water in a large clean bowl in your clean kitchen sink.
Love a quick dinner? Try these other speedy family favorites: Beef Stroganoff, Fish Tacos, Smothered Baked Pork Chops, Chicken Piccata. Check out my full list of 30 Minute Meals here.
How to Make Shrimp Scampi
I love this 20 minute meal and so does my family! It’s comforting, not too heavy and so so flavorful. Here’s how to make it:
Make the Sauce and Cook Pasta
In a large skillet, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add in minced garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the wine and simmer until it has reduced by half. While the sauce is simmering, in a separate pot, cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve some pasta water to add to the sauce later.
Can I Substitute White Wine With Something Else?
Yes!! You can use vegetable or chicken broth if you prefer.
What Do I Do to Thicken my Scampi Sauce?
Scampi sauce is meant to be on the thinner side however, if you want to thicken your sauce a bit, you can add some heavy cream OR make a slurry of cornstarch and water in a separate bowl by whisking 1/2 Tbsp of cornstarch and 1 Tbsp of cold water together until a paste is formed. Then add the slurry to the simmering sauce while whisking and bring back to a boil and simmer until the starchy taste has disappeared.
What Type of Pasta Works Best with Shrimp Scampi?
Any long pasta noodle will work. I prefer to use linguine, but spaghetti, fettuccine or angel hair pasta is great. Whole wheat pasta is also an option here. Regardless of which kind you use, be sure to cook it al dente. (Check cook time on the package.)
Cook the Shrimp
Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper. I used large shrimp that had 21-25 shrimp per pound. I bought them raw and they were peeled and deveined. Feel free to use whatever size you’d like! The smaller shrimp will take less time to cook, the larger shrimp will take longer.
Add to pan and cook until they are opaque and pink on both sides. It should be about 90 seconds per side.
Why is My Shrimp Dry and Tough?
It’s really easy to accidentally overcook shrimp and seafood in general. When your shrimp get dry and tough, they have been overcooked! When shrimp is pink and opaque, it’s done. No matter how big or small, this is the hard and fast rule for cooking shrimp.
- Large shrimp take about 5 minutes; 2 1/2 minutes per side
- Medium shrimp take 3-4 minutes; 1 1/2-2 minutes per side
- Any size smaller than medium take around 90 seconds (or less!) to cook through
Add Pasta to the Pan
Add in hot pasta and toss to coat, adding in reserved pasta water as needed to create a sauce. Toss shrimp scampi with parsley and add in lemon juice to taste. Serve hot.
What to Serve With Shrimp Scampi
Shrimp and pasta is a filling meal by itself, so I would pair it with a light salad or steamed veggie. You could even just add a piece of garlic toast (my favorite…can you tell I like carbs?) Here are a few options:
- Roasted Green Beans
- Caesar Salad Recipe
- Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Homemade Garlic Bread
- Whole Wheat Bread
I have a recipe for everyone in my side dish archives. If you don’t see anything on this list you think you would like, be sure to browse my recipe index.
Storing Leftover Shrimp Scampi
Store leftover shrimp scampi in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat, simply warm in the microwave using 50% power to avoid drying out the shrimp. Also, adding in a splash of water will help keep moisture in the reheated dish.
The printable recipe card is below, make sure to pin it, print it, or bookmark it to save this recipe for your dinner needs! Have a great day, friends! 🙂
Classic Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter salted
- 1 tbsp minced garlic about 3 cloves
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (something you would drink) – or vegetable/chicken broth
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 lb shrimp raw, peeled and deveined (21/25 count)*
- 3/4 lb linguine plus 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 3 tbsp parsley fresh, chopped
- 1/2 lemon juiced
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add in minced garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in wine and simmer until it has reduced by half.
- Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Add to pan and cook until they are opaque and pink on both sides. Should be about 90 seconds per side.
- Add in hot pasta and toss to coat, adding in reserved pasta water as needed to create a sauce.
- Garnish with parsley and add in lemon juice to taste. Serve hot.
This is one of the most thorough conversations I have actually seen on the topic.
Could you share how much pasta water you use ? Also, in the ingredient section it calls for 3 tabl of butter but in the instructions it says to use 2 table of butter along with the olive oil. I reread the recipe multiple times and couldn’t find when to add the additional tablespoon
One more thing, what type of white wine do you use in this recipe when you make it?
Love your recipes!
Thank you in advance
Why 3 Tbl butter, divided? When do you use the remaining 1T of butter?
What type of white wine do you use? Tried white wine in beef slow cooker recipes. Red tasted better but of course red doesn’t work in cream sauce.
First time making Shrimp Scampi and it turned out great. Both my adult sons said to make it again!! Thanks for the simple, yummy recipe!
My family loved it. Will definitely make again..quick, easy and delicious. Keep up the good work.
I made this Tuesday night and it was good, (and easy) but it was so much better the next day!