This Shrimp Scampi Pasta is so simple and delicious, you won’t believe it only takes 25 minutes to make! The garlicky shrimp and lemon wine sauce are just to die for!
This easy pasta dish tastes amazing with some homemade focaccia bread dipped in this herbed bread dipping oil.
Table Of Contents
Shrimp Scampi Pasta Recipe Details
This amazing Shrimp Scampi Pasta is so simple and delicious, and it tastes good with lots of other dishes. I love the flavors so much and I’m sure you will, too.
- TASTE: The garlicky sauce with its lemon and white wine taste amazing with pasta and shrimp.
- TEXTURE: Tender shrimp and al dente pasta are tossed in a light, buttery sauce.
- TIME: This recipe is nice and simple. Making this Shrimp Scampi Pasta is a snap.
- EASE: You can serve this pasta dish in just 25 minutes. This is perfect for busy nights.
What You’ll Need
- Shrimp- large, peeled, and deveined
- For the scampi sauce- Unsalted butter, Olive oil, Garlic cloves, White wine, and Lemon juice
- Seasonings- Salt, Black pepper, and Red pepper flakes
- Pasta
- Fresh parsley- to garnish
How to cook shrimp for shrimp scampi
- Boil the pasta. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente.
- Cook the shrimp. In a large skillet, melt the unsalted butter and olive oil over medium-high heat and then add the raw shrimp. Cook the shrimp until pink and opaque, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic and seasonings. Now add the minced garlic cloves, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir everything together until the garlic becomes fragrant (about 1-2 minutes).
- Add the wine and lemon juice. Bring the heat up to high and pour in the white wine and fresh lemon juice. Let it come to a quick boil (to cook out the alcohol in the wine).
- Add the pasta. Stir the pasta into the shrimp scampi and garnish it with freshly chopped parsley.
Pro Tip: If you prefer NOT to use wine, you can substitute with equal amounts of chicken broth instead.
Recipe Tips
- Use large shrimp- I found that the best type of shrimp to use in a scampi like this is large raw shrimp. They’re not too large like prawns and not too small so they serve well with pasta.
- Cook with a dry white wine- The optimal wine for shrimp scampi is a dry white wine so in other words, not sweet. Try Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or Pinot Blanc.
- Don’t pre-cook the shrimp- While you can reheat the pre-cooked shrimp in the skillet and mix it with the garlic butter sauce, I don’t recommend it. It will taste totally different, rubbery and not as good.
- Use fresh lemon juice- Fresh has the best taste, and in a recipe like this where the lemon juice plays a major role, skipping the bottled concentrate in favor of fresh is the way to go.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute the wine- If you want to skip the alcohol, you can use chicken stock in place of the white wine in this recipe.
- Make this scampi dairy-free- Substitute plant-based butter or use more olive oil in place of the butter.
- Add some spice- Add more red pepper flakes or a dash of cayenne to spice up this dish even more.
- Make it gluten-free- This is simply done by substituting the noodles for gluten-free pasta.
FAQs
Normally, shrimp scampi sauce isn’t supposed to be thick, but if you want to get a creamier consistency, you can mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of water and add it in during the last step of cooking when the sauce comes to a simmer.
Since the pasta in this recipe is high in carbs, you can substitute it with zucchini noodles, baked spaghetti squash, or some pan-seared vegetables.
Serving Suggestions
This Shrimp Scampi Pasta has so many versatile flavors, you can serve it with a variety of other dishes. Here are a few ideas:
- Appetizers: Start off with an Easy Antipasto Salad (low carb) or Fried Eggplant Appetizers (Roll ups).
- Salad: Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad, Spinach Salad, or any fresh green salad will taste delicious with this Shrimp Scampi Pasta.
- Sides: Serve some Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Baby Potatoes, or Air Fryer Broccoli alongside it.
- Bread: Soak up this tasty sauce with some Focaccia Bread, or serve Garlic Cheese Bread with your pasta.
Make This Shrimp Scampi Pasta in Advance
Make ahead: This recipe is easy to make in advance. Prepare it according to the recipe, allow it to cool, and then store it in the refrigerator. Reheat it on the stovetop until warmed through, adding some butter or oil if it has gotten dry in the fridge.
Storing: Store leftover Shrimp Scampi Pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Freeze: You can freeze the shrimp and scampi sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, reheat, and then serve it with fresh pasta.
More Tasty Pasta Dishes!
- Blackened Chicken Alfredo
- Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Rigatoni
- Garlic Zucchini Spaghetti
- Shrimp Linguine
Full Recipe Instructions
Shrimp Scampi Pasta
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lb large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 8 garlic cloves minced
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 3/4 cup white wine
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 lb pasta
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook 1 lb of pasta al dente.
- In a large skillet melt 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, and 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat and add the 2 pounds of raw shrimps peeled and deveined. Cook the shrimp until pink and opaque with stirring occasionally.
- Now add 8 minced garlic cloves, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/4 black pepper, and 1 tsp red pepper flakes. Stir that all together is until the garlic becomes fragrant (about 1-2 minutes).
- Bring the heat to high and pour in 3/4 cup white wine and 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. Let it come to a quick boil (to cook out the wine).
- Lastly, garnish the shrimp scampi with 1 cup of freshly chopped parsley. Serve over hot buttered pasta.
Notes
- Substitute for white wine
- How to make it low carb
- How to make it ahead of time
- How to store
Nutrition
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Darlene Dailey says
Can I substitute fresh basil for fresh parsley in the Shrimp, Garlic Pasta?
Dina says
Hi Darlene, I would not recommend substituting the basil for parsley since they have two very different flavors. But if you really love the flavor of basil, then I guess it wouldn’t hurt. But they definitely don’t taste the same. I hope that helps. Let me know how it goes!
Jayne Zuleger says
Loved it. Added small slices of red and yellow sweet peppers and diced onions. Also added fresh grated parmesan at the end. Definitely will make again.
Dina says
Hi Jayne 🙂 Glad to hear you loved this shrimp scampi pasta! Love the additions you used! Thank you so much for you awesome feedback and I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog 🙂
Venessa says
Absolutely perfect recipe! My family likes a bit of spice, so the red chili flakes add a nice subtle kick to the plate. Love shrimp scampi anyway, but I’m somewhat of a beginner in the kitchen and never made it with white wine which was a really nice addition. Love this meal. Will be making it again!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you so much, Venessa! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the shrimp scampi 🙂
Cathie says
I am planning to make this recipe but I’m confused as to how you used the 4 tablespoons of olive oil?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Cathie, thanks for catching that. I must have missed it. The olive oil goes in with the butter, right before you add the shrimp.
Holly Whorton says
This recipe looks amazing! It will be on my dinner menu soon, however I don’t have any white wine. What do you recommend using instead? Thanks! 🙂
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Holly, technically the wine can be substituted with chicken broth but I wouldn’t recommend it. The wine is a key ingredient in this dish and really enhances the flavor fo the garlic shrimp scampi.
Vera says
Thank you Dina for the recipe, I just made it and it was so delicious. I added some mushrooms but that’s just because I love mushrooms in every dish I make😀
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Vera, I’m glad you loved the shrimp scampi pasta. The mushrooms sound like a delicious addition!