This shrimp scampi pasta recipe has been one of my favorites basically since I started cooking. Tender, juicy shrimp is marinated in a garlic/shallot marinade, seared, then mixed into linguine tossed with a lemon/white wine sauce.
This inexpensive and surprisingly easy dish is my dream summer meal. It’s the perfect balance of everything fresh and delicious, and always tastes the best with the freshest ingredients you can find.
Easy Shrimp Scampi
I actually keep the ingredients for this shrimp scampi (like linguine, chicken broth, and shallots) on hand incase I get a craving for this delicious, fresh, and buttery dish.
A quick run to the store for shrimp and white wine, and I have an impressive and delicious meal that’s ready to go in 35 minutes.
So, What Exactly Is Shrimp Scampi?
Scampi is actually Italian word for “bending, or curving” relating to shrimp. Shrimp scampi is a lemon-ey, buttery, white wine shrimp dish most often served with linguine or spaghetti noodles. While considered a more “upscale” meal, it’s an easy and inexpensive dish to create!
Shrimp scampi is seriously the perfect summer food. It’s perfect with white wine or pisco sours on the patio, and it was one of my favorite meals to eat in Greece.
How To Make Shrimp Scampi
To make the best shrimp scampi ever:
- Marinate the shrimp: once you’ve peeled and deveined the shrimp, add the shallots, red pepper flakes, and olive oil. Marinate in the fridge while you prep the pasta.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta to al dente.
- Heat the cast iron pan over medium high heat with butter (ensuring the butter doesn’t burn). Add in the shrimp along with any remaining marinade and sear for 1-2 minutes on each side. Move the shrimp onto a separate plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the white wine, chicken broth, and lemon juice to the pan, using a spatula to deglaze it. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and reduce it for around 10 minutes, or until about 2 cups of sauce remain.
- Stir in the parsley, as well as the shrimp and pasta to reheat. Add the butter (this creates the silky texture for the sauce), and garnish with grated parmesan cheese and parsley.
What To Serve With Shrimp Scampi
Shrimp scampi is SO easy to pair with. It’s such a fresh and summery dish, so it goes perfectly with a delicious summer salad or caesar salad.
If I am entertaining, a fresh bruschetta appetizer is perfect. I also love serving the leftover crostini with shrimp scampi to soak up the rest of the sauce.
For drinks, pair this shrimp scampi recipe with a dry white wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. It really goes great with any light, citrusy, and easy cocktails!
More Delicious Pasta Recipes
- Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
- Parmesan Lemon Orzo
- Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
The Best Shrimp Scampi Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 box linguine
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 shallots medium, finely minced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 7 tablespoons butter divided
- ⅔ cup dry white wine
- 2 cups chicken broth low sodium
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice fresh, 1 lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley chopped
- parmesan cheese garnish
Instructions
- Prepare pasta according to package directions. Peel and devein shrimp. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine shallots, garlic, red pepper flakes, and olive oil. Add shrimp and marinate in fridge for 15 minutes.
- Heat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat with 4 tablespoons butter. Add marinated shrimp, including remaining marinade, and sear for 1-2 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Set shrimp aside.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add white wine, chicken broth, and lemon juice to the pan, using a spatula to deglaze it. Bring to a simmer and reduce for 10 minutes or until about 1 1/2 cups of liquid remain, adding salt and pepper as desired.
- Stir in pasta, parsley, and shrimp to reheat. Add remaining butter, and serve with grated parmesan and additional parsley for garnish.
Tried this recipe? Let me know how you liked it below!
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32 thoughts on “The Best Shrimp Scampi”
Have made this recipe several times with rave reviews from my guests.
Have passed it on to a new bride and told her to make it if she wants to impress her Mother-in-law. 😊
Oh so delicious 😋
The best shrimp scampi, and our go-to date night at home meal! Thanks for the easy and delicious recipe!!
Glad you love it!
Delicious!!! Thank you!
So glad it was a hit!
Our youngest daughter requested “shrimp with noodles” for the day before her 6th birthday dinner. This recipe really did the trick, with lots of sauce to season a pound of pasta.
The pasta bag says nine servings – is it possible that I had six? Maybe a loooong bike ride tomorrow??
So glad you loved it Josh! There’s never too much pasta 😉
This recipe is so good it’s a definite keeper! I’m afraid I did screw up and I didn’t reduce the sauce so it wasn’t as thick as it’s should have been … my mistake. The sauce had perfect flavor and I will be making this again
So glad you loved it!
I have made this several times, and we love it.
I am making it for the first time while starting a new diet, everything is permitted on the diet, but the butter and linguine or pasta of course. I have no problem eating the shrimp without the pasta, but am wondering if I can make this without the butter, using just olive oil?
Hi Cathi, I am so glad you love it!
The butter adds a silkiness to the overall sauce, olive oil will work as a substitute without affecting the flavor too much.
This should get a 10 star rating! So good!
Thank you Lynn, so glad you loved it!
This was fantastic! The only addition I made was a large cubed fresh tomatoe! Everyone LOVED it! Thanks so much. Can’t wait to try other recipes on your site. Lynn, Mark, and Darren
Sounds like a delicious addition Lynn, so happy you loved it!
Can you use something different in place of the dry white wine?
Hi Theresa, you can use extra chicken broth in place of the white wine. Enjoy
My family loves this recipe! I have made it several times now and I usually pair it with a Caesar salad and fresh crusty bread. Easy, quick and delicious!
I am so glad you love it Chrissy! Caesar salad is the best side, and crusty garlic bread is perfect for any sauce leftover!
Love this recipe. So easy and sooo good. Made a amazing impression! They think I can cook!
So glad you loved it! It’s one of our favorites around here too!
Are this last night and we LOVED it!!! Had leftovers tonight and it was even better! Thank you so much – it’s a keeper!
So glad you loved it! We love how easy this is for leftovers too!
The lemon stands out way too much, but i will definitely try this again with half the lemon simpky because I liked how the steps are to put it together different from other scampi I have prepares.
I am sorry you didn’t enjoy the lemon! We love a super fresh, lemony scampi.
Thanks for this amazing recipe. My family loved it. The pepper was a real hit for us. Even better the next day. Really is the best.
So glad you love it Denise! It definitely makes for delicious leftovers!
Love how easy and flavorful this is – the best I have found!
I am so glad you loved it Stephanie!
I use the recipe for the scampi sauce. It was fabulous. I put the sauce on chicken wings that I baked in the oven. I am hooked.
Sounds like it would be delicious on wings, I will definitely have to try that!