Shrimp Scampi Pasta

Ingredients for Shrimp Scampi Pasta

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for the best Shrimp Scampi Pasta!

• 1.5 lb 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.
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 lb Linguine pasta – I personally used linguine in this dish but you can sub 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.
• 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 – 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.
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• lemon zest
• freshly chopped parsley

Shrimp Scampi Pasta: Recipe Instructions

Saute the Shrimp

Start by dropping your pasta into salted boiling water. We’re going to aim for 1-2 minutes before al dente to time the doneness of the pasta with the thickening of the sauce. Begin by peeling and de-veining your shrimp (if not already done so), and patting them dry with a paper towel. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Over medium high heat, melt butter along with olive oil and sauté the shrimp for 2 minutes per side until bright pink and opaque. Remove the shrimp from the pan, leaving the leftover fond.

Starting the Shrimp Scampi Pasta Sauce

In the same pan, fry minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes for 30 seconds to infuse the butter and olive oil. The shrimp have left some beautiful fond in the pan and we’re going to take full advantage of it!

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. Season with black pepper, add some of the pasta water from the cooked pasta and let the sauce reduce by about 1/3.

Continue cooking your pasta to very al dente (1-2 minutes) under the al dente time, and add the pasta straight to the sauce along with some pasta water.

Reduce the Shrimp Scampi Pasta sauce

We are now left with a beautiful sauce that we want to reduce and evenly coat all the pasta (refer to the recipe video for the thickness I’m going for). Once you’re happy with the sauce, add back the shrimp and freshly chopped parsley and mix together thoroughly.

If the sauce is too thick, simply add a 1/4 cup of pasta water at a time and continue cooking until the right consistency is achieved.

Once the pasta is mixed with the shrimp and parsley and you’re happy with the consistency of the sauce, top with some freshly grated parmesan cheese and mix through. Your Shrimp Scampi pasta is done!

I like to garnish with more crushed red pepper, lemon zest and parmesan cheese! I hope you enjoy this Shrimp Scampi Pasta as much as I do!

Recipe Tips for Shrimp Scampi 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 Shrimp Scampi Pasta 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.

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.

If you liked this Shrimp Scampi Pasta, check out some of the most popular pasta recipes on the blog! Please consider giving a rating and commenting down below what you thought of the recipe! It really helps out the blog!

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• Carbonara: A True Roman Classic
• Fettucine Alfredo
• Cacio e Pepe

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!