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Shrimp Scampi Pasta is my favorite quick and easy dinner! The shrimp are succulent and buttery combined with a bright, lemony sauce tossed with al dente pasta – a truly comforting meal that is perfect for a weeknight or even a special occasion!
Watch the Shrimp Scampi Pasta Recipe Video Below!
Shrimp Scampi Pasta Ingredients
- shrimp U16-20 – I’m using U16-20 peeled and deveined shrimp for this recipe, which I find are the perfect size for this dish! You can also use tail on shrimp to give the sauce some extra flavor, but I personally like shrimp without the shells in this pasta.
- If you love shrimp, try making my Hawaiian inspired Coconut Shrimp!
- If you want to make a different seafood pasta, try Linguine with Clams!
- garlic powder
- Linguine pasta – I personally used linguine in this dish but you can substitute with any long pasta (for ex: fettuccine, spaghetti, bucatini, tagliatelle). You can use either fresh or dried pasta; my only recommendation is to use the highest quality stuff you can find! I like bronze-cut pasta because the surface of the pasta allows for more sauce to cling to it.
- butter
- olive oil
- black pepper
- garlic
- red pepper flakes
- white wine – I use a dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, but you can easily substitute this for chicken stock if you prefer to omit alcohol from this recipe.
- lemon juice
- lemon zest
- freshly chopped parsley
For other pastas without a tomato sauce, try my wife’s favorite Carbonara, authentic Fettuccine Alfredo, a foolproof Cacio e Pepe, or a bright and lemony Pasta al Limone!
Recipe Instructions
1. Saute the Shrimp
Cook pasta of your choice according to the package instructions (minus 2 minutes) in salted water.
Peel and de-vein the shrimp. Pat them dry with a paper towel before seasoning with salt, pepper, and garic powder.
In a pan over medium high heat, melt butter with olive oil. Add the shrimp and saute for 2 minutes on each side. Shrimp shoud be bright pink and opaque (refer to the photo). Remove the shrimp from the pan, leaving the leftover butter.
2. Start the Scampi Sauce
In the same pan with the leftover butter/oil mixture, add minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for 30 seconds over medium high heat – this is to infuse the butter/oil mixture.
Deglaze the pan with white wine (or chicken stock if going sans alcohol) and lemon juice, making sure to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add freshly ground black pepper and pasta water (from the pot cooking the pasta) and let reduce.
2. Add the Pasta
Once the pasta has cooked to 2 minutes less than the package instructions, add it to the pan with the sauce with more pasta water.
Continue to cook the pasta as the sauce reduces – this will help the pasta get evenly coated with the delicious sauce. Refer to the video to confirm the thickness of sauce desired.
3. Add Back Shrimp to Finish
Once the sauce is thick enough, add back the cooked shrimp and freshly chopped parsley. Mix together to incorporate.
Top with some freshly grated parmesan cheese and mix through. I like to garnish with more crushed red pepper flakes and lemon zest. Your Shrimp Scampi pasta is done – enjoy!
Key Tip
Expert Tips for the Best Shrimp Scampi Pasta at Home!
Shrimp
- I recommend using U16-20 peeled and deveined shrimp for this recipe, which I find are the perfect size for this dish! You can also use tail on shrimp to give the sauce some extra flavor, but I personally like shrimp without the shells in this pasta.
- The shrimp must be raw – I don’t recommend using cooked shrimp for this recipe!
Pasta
- I used linguine in this dish but you can substitute with any long pasta (for ex: fettuccine, spaghetti, bucatini, tagliatelle). You can use either fresh or dried pasta; my only recommendation is to use the highest quality stuff you can find! I like bronze-cut pasta because the surface of the pasta allows for more sauce to cling to it.
- Undercook the pasta – Account for the time that the Shrimp Scampi Pasta sauce will take to reduce and thicken (1-2 minutes) and undercook your pasta by the same amount of time. If the sauce has reduced too much before the pasta is done to your liking, you can always add additional pasta water to loosen the sauce back up and continue cooking the pasta.
Pasta Water
- Salt your pasta water! This is the first step in ensuring your Shrimp Scampi Pasta is properly seasoned. The Italians believed in adding flavor in every step of the cooking process and salting your pasta water can be seen as your ‘foundation’. I like my pasta water to be as salty as the sea – briny but not so salty that it’s unbearable. I use kosher salt but you can use whatever salt you have on hand.
- Save your pasta water! You may find the sauce to be too thick, especially when mixed with the pasta, so save some of the pasta water to loosen as needed and create the creamy consistency you want.
Wine
- Use a dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.
- If you cannot use wine, you can also easily substitute this with chicken broth or stock.
If you’re looking for a pasta with a tomato sauce, try my classic Spaghetti and Meatballs! You can use the same sauce to make crispy Chicken Parmesan – it’s so good! A lighter option, especially during cherry tomato season, is Cherry Tomato Pasta. As a Roman pasta lover, I highly recommend trying my Bucatini all’Amatriciana!
If you tried this Shrimp Scampi Pasta or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Shrimp Scampi Pasta
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb shrimp, U16-20
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 lb Linguine pasta
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley
- lemon zest, for garnish
- freshly grated parmesan cheese, for garnish
Instructions
- Melt butter and olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Season shrimp with salt, pepper, and garlic powder saute shrimp for 2 minutes per side and remove.
- Cook pasta in salted water 1-2 minutes sooner than package directions for very al dente
- In the same pan as the shrimp, sauté garlic and chili flakes for 30 seconds, turn heat to high and add white wine and lemon juice, season with black pepper. Add 1/2 cup of pasta water and let reduce by about a third, then add the very al dente pasta directly to the pan.
- Add a drizzle of olive oil and mix the pasta until the sauce has thicken and emulsified, and the pasta is done to your liking, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the shrimp and parsley to the pasta along with a knob of butter. Mix until coated and add more pasta water as needed.
- Top with freshly parsley, lemon zest & grated parmesan. Serve with warm bread and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We loved this shrimp recipe. Will definitely make this again.
Thanks so much Marilyn!
This shrimp
It was a very easy recipe to follow and it was delicious! I highly recommend
Classic recipe!
great recipe, found it to be a little too lemony even though i love lemon. would add half the lemon juice next time and work up from there.
Easy and classic recipe. Pat dry your shrimp and do not overcrowd the pan, otherwise you boil the shrimp instead of giving it a good sear. I also garnished with capers for an extra tangy taste
Easy and delicious recipe. Pat dry your shrimp and do not overcrowd the pan, otherwise you boil the shrimp instead of giving it a good sear. I also garnished with capers for an extra tangy taste