Easy Shrimp Scampi Recipe

Shrimp scampi is a quick and easy meal that’s full of flavor! It’s made with shrimp cooked in a savory garlic butter sauce with a splash of lemon and wine. It is tossed with Angel Hair pasta or linguine. It can also be served over zucchini noodles or steamed cauliflower. You can have it on the table in less than 15 minutes!

Tips for Making the Best Shrimp Scampi

If you are using frozen shrimp, be sure to thaw it completely in the refrigerator or under COLD water. Then pat it down with a paper towel to remove any water on the outside. This will help it brown nicely when it cooks. Be sure to have all your ingredients handy when you start cooking. Shrimp cooks quickly! You should have your eyes on it the entire time and be able to grab the next ingredient as soon as you need it. This will prevent the shrimp from getting overcooked and having a tough, rubbery texture. You can choose to cook the shrimp in either butter or olive oil. This recipe calls for a butter/oil combination. We prefer this combo because the butter adds a rich flavor while the olive oil prevents the butter from browning. Don’t want to cook with wine? Don’t worry! You can substitute chicken broth for the white wine in the sauce if you’d like to.

 Ingredients

1 (16 ounces) package linguine pasta or Angel Hair pasta

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 shallots, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

1 pinch kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth

1 lemon, juiced

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

1. Fill a large pot with water and add salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and continue to boil until al dente (approximately 5 to 8 minutes). Then remove from heat and drain. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.
2. In a large skillet, melt the butter and warm the olive oil over medium heat.
3. Add the shallots, garlic and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Cook until the shallots are translucent and garlic is browned (about 3 to 4 minutes).
4. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the shrimp then toss it into the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally until they are pink and curl into a C shape. (If they curl into an O shape, they are overcooked.) Then remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside in a covered dish to keep warm.
5. Pour the lemon juice and white wine into the skillet. Bring to a boil over medium while stirring with a spoon and scraping the bottom. When you smell the alcohol burn out and it has reduced, remove from the heat.
6. Add the shrimp back into the skillet along with the pasta. Toss together with the reserved pasta water.
7. Serve with fresh parsley on top.

Let us know how this recipe turned out for you in the comments! For the best selection of fresh shrimp in New England, swing by City Fish Market!