Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi Recipe
I want to bring you restaurant-quality shrimp and pasta dish at home! This classic shrimp scampi comes together quickly with a short list of essential ingredients and a fast and simple cooking process. It’s a perfect dish for weeknights, date nights, and special occasions.
Rave Reviews
Made this recipe for the first time and my husband loved it came out so delicious…Definitely will be making again for guest. ~Miriam
This was the easiest and tastiest shrimp scampi ever! I will definitely make this my go to for shrimp scampi! Thank you!! ~Barb
Lyuba’s Recipe Overview
The very first time I tried shrimp scampi was at our family restaurant when I started working there. No wonder that it was one of the top selling items on the menu because the combination of lemon garlic butter shrimp pasta with the white wine sauce is a burst of flavor at each bite.
When I started in the restaurant, I didn’t just taste these dishes though, I learned how to make them the right way. I was taught by chefs, trained on the classics, and over the years I’ve built a professionally trained foundation that helps me understand the “why” behind each step, not just the recipe itself.
Table of Contents
Important Ingredient Notes Before Cooking
I want to note that a scampi recipe is a combination of a few specific ingredients and that’s what makes the recipe what it is (full list is in the recipe card):
- Important ingredients: most important ingredients of shrimp scampi are shrimp, butter, white wine, garlic, and fresh lemon juice. Those should not be substituted!
- Butter: you cannot omit butter but you can use plant based butter substitute. I often use lactose free/plant butter substitute like I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, Earth Balance, Avocado Oil Plant Based Butter.
- Wine: make sure to use dry white wine like Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio. Do not use sweet wine!
Tips For Cooking Shrimp Scampi
- Prepare: Before we can really get started on the shrimp, you’ll need to prepare! Clean and de-vein the shrimp if needed.
- Shrimp doneness: Best indication is the color of the shrimp, they turn from translucent to opaque as they cook. When shrimp turned opaque on one side, flip them and wait until they turn opaque on the other side. Tails is another indication. Once the tails start to turn inward and the shrimp are “C” shaped, they’re likely ready to go!
- Don’t overcook shrimp: they will turn rubbery and tough if overcooked so it’s important to take them off heat once opaque throughout.
- Prevent garlic from turning blue: you may have noticed that garlic can turn blue when introduced to a highly acidic ingredients (like lemon juice) while cooking. The way to prevent it is by using fresh garlic AND searing the garlic until golden first (BEFORE introducing acid), make sure to stir and sear. Once it’s cooked through, it should not react when combined with acids.
Serving Suggestions and Additional Flavors
- Pasta is the most traditional way to serve shrimp scampi as well as a piece of crusty bread.
- In additions to pasta or instead of pasta, try it with broccoli or a mix of vegetables. Broccoli is great because the florets soak up a lot of sauce and it comes out very tasty. Some other vegetables that would work well in this dish are shallots, mushrooms, zucchini, asparagus, green beans, cauliflower, and other mild tasting vegetables.
- In our family restaurant, I’ve had many people order shrimp scampi with russet mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes. This is a less conventional option but many people love it.
- Optional Additional Ingredients – Red pepper flakes and shallots are great add-ins. Red pepper flakes give the dish a nice layer of heat but it’s not overpowering. Shallots sautéed at the same time as the garlic will add a lot of flavor to the dish.
- To make it creamy: you can add some heavy whipping cream AFTER the white wine sauce had a few minutes to simmer. It’s important to give alcohols and acids time to cook before adding cream or the sauce could curdle. (1/4 to 1/2 cup will work.)
Shrimp Scampi Recipe FAQs
That is a personal preference but if you want my professional opinion, no, I would not recommend leaving tails on. While it’s esthetically pleasing to top off a dish with beautiful looking shrimp with tails on, it’s not that kind of recipe. It will be much more comfortable to eat shrimp scampi if you take the tails off before cooking.
Most of the alcohol in the wine will cook out, leaving a hint of the flavor. However, if you would rather not use it, you can substitute the wine but note the flavor of sauce will change! You can simply use chicken broth, vegetable broth, instead of wine and you can also add a little splash of grape juice (just a tablespoon or two).
In the refrigerator!
As a chef certified in food safety management, I want to make sure I address this. Do NOT thaw shrimp (or other meats) on the counter and do NOT thaw shrimp (or other meats) in the sink. To thaw meats in the sink, there is a proper process that food handlers learn but I don’t recommend it for home cooks due to food safety concerns.
Thaw shrimp (and other meats) in the refrigerator. Depending on size and thickness, it could take a few hours for shrimp. So pull it out the night before and put it in the refrigerator to thaw.
Simple answer – any pasta you love! The best pasta for shrimp scampi is long pasta that gives the buttery garlic sauce something to cling to. Pasta with rough exterior, like bucatini, is great for grabbing onto the sauce. Some brands not even have textures spaghetti that’s great for holding onto the sauce. But you can use fettuccine, linguine, spaghetti, angel hair, penne, cavatappi, or any other pasta.
Feel free to also use gluten free pasta if needed!
Unfortunately, this is not a good dish to make ahead. Shrimp and other shellfish should be eaten soon after it was cooked because the texture doesn’t stand up well to reheating and can overcook in seconds.
More Shrimp Recipes to Try
Shrimp and grits features buttery, cheesy grits is topped with big, juicy shrimp that are cook in bacon grease.
Super easy baked garlic butter shrimp features tender, juicy shrimp baked in a medley of butter, fresh garlic, lemon zest and sage.
Shrimp stir fry is a quick and healthy dish loaded with juicy shrimp, many different vegetables, and an easy homemade stir fry sauce.
Another classic! You will never need to order takeout with this amazing and easy shrimp fried rice recipe.
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Shrimp Scampi Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta like spaghetti, angel hair, or linguine
- 1 lb large shrimp
Scampi Sauce:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter additional
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 lemon – juice only
- 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
- salt to taste
Instructions
EXTRA Saucy Tip:
- This recipe coats the pasta well but if you like your pasta saucy, (and why not!) simply double the sauce ingredients or make half the amount of pasta! Simple and saucy!
If You Need To Clean Shrimp:
- If you got shrimp still in shells, you will need to peel and de-vein them before cooking: start pulling off the shell by the legs, cracking the underside. Be assertive, larger shrimp have a tougher shell. You can choose to take tails off or leave them on. Use a paring knife or another small knife to slice just the top of the skin all along the back. Cut very gently to only slice through the top thin layer of skin. Take out the "vein" running along the back of the shrimp.
Prepare Shrimp Scampi:
- Bring a pot of water to boil and salt it generously (for a 2 quart pot of water, I recommend 1 tbsp of coarse salt.) Cook pasta in boiling salted water until it is al dente, drain off the water, and set aside.
- Measure and prepare remaining ingredients before starting to cook because this recipe cooks fast.
- Season shrimp with some salt and toss it so the seasoning is spread evenly.
- In a large skillet, melt butter and add olive oil.
- Smash garlic, mince it, and add it to the skillet. Add red pepper flakes too and sauté garlic and pepper flakes until garlic is golden-browned.
- Add shrimp to the skillet and cook until they turn opaque on one side.
- Flip all the shrimp and cook until it’s just turned opaque on the other side. Take shrimp out of the pan but leave butter and garlic behind.
- Add a little more butter and let it melt.
- Pour in white wine and deglaze the bottom of the pan by scraping it and mixing with the liquids. Let it simmer for a minute or two minutes.
- Add lemon juice and season the sauce with some salt. Return shrimp to the skillet.
- Cook for just about a minute, stir in parsley, and add cooked pasta. Toss to coat everything together and serve.
Video
Notes
- Like it saucy? Double the sauce: If you like your dishes saucy, feel free to double the sauce ingredients and make extra sauce!
- Using frozen shrimp: you can use previously frozen shrimp but make sure to thaw them completely first. Drain off all the excess liquids before starting to cook and pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel.
- Storing: In an airtight container in the fridge, any leftovers you have of this scampi will last for about 2-3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat it in the pan over medium-low heat until just warmed all the way through. You never want to overcook seafood, especially leftovers.
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in February 2020.
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Categories:
30 Minute Meals, Dinner Recipes, Italian Dinner Recipes, Most Popular Recipes, Mother's Day Recipe Ideas, Pasta Recipes, Seafood Dinner Recipes, Shrimp Dinner Recipes, Valentine's Day,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
I added some mushrooms one time I made it and broccoli another time I made it and it was fantastic. I just love this recipe.
Yum, Glad, you liked it!
I’m not a wine drinker, what wine would you recommend?
Hi Christina,
There are several brands you can use, last time I made this I used a dry pinot gris and the brand was Chateau Ste Michelle which I got from my local grocery store for around $10 and it went very well. Hope this helps!
Thank you for #4!!! It’s sooooo helpful knowing this ahead of time!!
Delicious! Mine came out spicy 🤔 would too much garlic do that? I doubled the sauce and didn’t use any crushed pepper the 2nd batch to tone it down. But still has quite a kick. The kids loves it after I put soy sauce in it to take the spice taste lol! Will make again!
This recipe was easy to follow and make. It was delicious! We liked the kick from the red pepper. I will make it again and recommend it to others.
When you say Scamp is another word for shrimp you are completely wrong. That would be like calling the dish “Shrimp Shrimp.” The word Scampi describes a method of cooking, i.e. a dish of shrimp , typically sautéed in garlic and butter and often topped with bread crumbs.
I want to make this for dinner. Can I substitute chicken broth for the wine? During this pandemic, I don’t want to just run to the store for 1 item.
Hi Melanie,
Yes, you can replace it with stock it will of course have a different flavor but it will still be good.
I tried with the chicken stock and doubled the sauce. My family loved it! Thanks!
Yay! So glad you liked it! 🙂
Outstanding – easy to do – delicious – thank you for simplicity with perfection!
Thank you, John! I am so glad you liked it! 🙂
Was looking for a quick easy shrimp pasta and this delivered. I’m from the deep south so added a little more butter, wine, and seasoning. Also stirred in a little parmesan cheese to the finished pasta….whole new level,
I am so glad you liked it! Thanks for stopping by!
This recipe is amazing! Just made it for dinner and even my kids loved it! Thanks for sharing 😊
So glad you liked it, Jessica!
This looks so good and will most likely make it. Just wondering why so high in calories and if there is a way to reduce.
Hi Lynn,
It has butter and some wine but mostly it is the pasta to cut the calories you could use zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash instead of the pasta.
Hi! Cooking newbie here- at what temperature/heat setting should I be cooking this dish on? Thank you!! Looking forward to trying 🙂
My husband wants extra sauce with all pasta dishes. What exactly do I double in this recipe? What constitutes the “sauce?”
Hi Jan,
Double everything but the shrimp and pasta for extra sauce. I hope you like it!
Made this….loved it.
Hi Molly,
I am so glad you liked it ! 🙂
This is my favorite recipe for scampi. It’s simple and if I have frozen shrimp, I can get it on the table in 45 minutes with bread and a salad. So easy and deliicious.
Hi Judy,
Thank you so much! I am so glad you liked them!
Mmmm…that looks delicious, will have to try it out!
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Shrimp Scampi is one of my favorite meals of all time…this looks delicious!
Wow! Is it weird that I want this right now and it’s only 7am??? Sorry your hubby doesn’t eat seafood. I would eat this every day!!!
It’s Ian’s and Jaydon’s loss, Pop and Grandma love shrimp!
Looks great! I’m going to try this :)I’m following you back for http://MyCreativeWay.blogspot.com 🙂 I’m excited to read more of your blog!Raychel