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Shrimp Scampi is a classic dish loaded with garlic, butter, and sweet shrimp cooked to perfection. Serve over pasta for a quick and easy dinner you’ll love!
Sweet succulent shrimp – we love them! Especially in dishes like Shrimp Scampi, Shrimp Alfredo and Garlic Tomato & Shrimp Pasta.
Shrimp Scampi Recipe
When it comes to shrimp dishes, shrimp scampi always come to mind for me first. There’s something just so decadent about the garlic butter sauce playing again the sweet shrimp. It’s heaven on a plate, friends. The great thing about this recipe is that you can serve it as an appetizer or as a meal over pasta. There’s no wrong way to enjoy these little guys!
Shrimp Scampi Ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- Garlic
- Red pepper flakes
- Medium-sized shrimp
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh lemon juice
- White wine
- Fresh parsley
- Olive oil
- Long pasta – spaghetti, angel hair, or linguine
What’s not to love about all that?! The best part about this shrimp scampi recipe is that it comes together quickly. I’m talking about 20 minutes from start to finish quick.
How to Make Shrimp Scampi
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt the water and add pasta. Salt is important for adding flavor to the pasta. Cook according to package directions until al dente and drain the water.
- While the pasta is cooking, melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet to cook the garlic and red pepper flakes for a few minutes or until they are fragrant.
- Season the shrimp with salt and pepper; go easy with the seasoning as shrimp don’t need a lot. Shrimp cook quickly so they only need a few minutes per side. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl.
- Add lemon juice and white wine to the skillet and bring to a boil. Add more butter and cook until just melted, then turn off the heat.
- Add the shrimp and cooked pasta to the skillet and toss everything together until the pasta and shrimp are coated with the sauce. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh minced parsley.
Serving Suggestions
Don’t you just want to sop up all that extra garlic butter sauce with some crusty bread? Yum! If you’re serving shrimp scampi as an appetizer, all you need to do is leave out the pasta. It’s that easy to change things up.
This shrimp scampi pasta is a definite keeper. It’s a fantastic dish to serve when you’re having company over. It’s a favorite with everyone I serve it too. I serve this pasta up with a Caesar salad and garlic bread for the full restaurant experience at home.
What to do with leftovers
I recommend reheating shrimp scampi in a skillet on the stove over medium-low heat. Shrimp gets tough when it’s over-cooked, and the sauce can get greasy as well in the microwave, so stovetop is best if you can.
More of my favorite shrimp recipes
More easy dinner ideas
- Bruschetta Chicken Pasta
- Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese
- Shrimp Mango Quesadillas
- More dinner recipes
Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients
- 16 ounces uncooked long pasta (like fettuccine or spaghetti)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 4 cloves garlic thin sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pound medium-sized shrimp
- 1/4 cup white wine (Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt the water and add pasta. Cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain pasta.
- While pasta is cooking, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the garlic and red pepper flakes for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, flip over once. Shrimp should be pink when done cooking. Remove the shrimp and set aside in a bowl.
- Add lemon juice and wine to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Add remaining butter and cook until just melted. Turn off the heat.
- Add the shrimp and cooked pasta to the skillet. Toss to coat the pasta in sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and chopped parsley.
No mention of what to do with the olive oil
It’s in step 5 – Drizzle with olive oil.