Dinner just doesn’t get any faster, simpler or tastier than this shrimp scampi and your dinner guests will think you’re a gourmet rockstar!
Scandalously delicious and deceptively simple. That’s Shrimp Scampi.
A long-time favorite of my husband’s, when we were dating I whipped this up for him and he said it was better than his favorite restaurant version. It’s a great dish to make for entertaining; it’s super quick, the flavor is impressive, and your guests will think you’re a total gourmet.
The ingredients are simple and for that reason it’s important to use quality ingredients. Use good shrimp, good wine (not “cooking wine”), good butter and freshly squeezed lemon juice (avoid the bottled stuff). And for that sprinkling of Parmesan to go on top, get a small chunk of the really good stuff from the speciality cheese section. You only need a tiny chunk so it will be inexpensive, but the quality of the freshly grated Parmesan will make a big difference in the outcome of the dish.
What side dish can I serve with shrimp scampi?
The shrimp scampi is the showstopper so avoid competition by keeping the side simple, both in flavor and appearance. Since it’s primarily a pasta dish you’ll also want to avoid serving another carb.
My choice of sides is a fresh salad of mixed greens. Light, fresh and crisp, it cuts the richness of the scampi and is the perfect complement. A salad that consists of some bitter greens like kale, arugula or spinach contrasts especially nicely with the scampi. Use a light vinaigrette. With you’re shrimp scampi and linguine served with a fresh green salad, you’re all set to go and dinner prep couldn’t be simpler!
Enjoy this superbly delicious lemon garlic shrimp scampi!
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Lemon Garlic Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients
- 16 ounces linguine , cooked al dente in lightly salted water
- 1 1/2 pounds large 16-20 count shrimp, shelled and deveined (optional: leave the tail on for a fancier look))
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes , add more if you like it hot!
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
- 1/3 cup finely chopped parsley
- Parmesan cheese for sprinkling
- Extra chopped parsley for garnishing
Instructions
- Heat a medium-sized pan on medium-high heat. Once heated, add the butter and olive oil. Once the butter is melted and is no longer foamy, increase the heat to high and add the shrimp. Cook for one minute then turn shrimp over, add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook for another minute. Be careful not to overcook or the shrimp will be tough. Set shrimp aside on a warm plate.
- Next add the white wine, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Add black pepper and salt to taste. Leave the heat on high and let the wine sauce boil for 2-3 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the shrimp and parsley and stir to coat with the sauce.
- Serve immediately over pasta sprinkled with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a little extra chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Katy says
My cousin serves a delicious scampi where she has previously butterflied and fried the shrimp in saltine cracker crumbs…. I have to say, it is out of this world! (She won’t share the recipe :'( ) Can this recipe be adapted to have fried shrimp?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Katy, I wouldn’t add the fried shrimp to the sauce because they’ll lose their crunch and become soggy. But you could make the sauce without the shrimp, toss it with the pasta and then lay the fried shrimp on top.
Anonymous says
Thank you so much! I will try that and get back to you!
ZAMRIE says
Wow, it’s really delicious and easy to cook. My children love Garlic Shrimp Scampi so much. Thank you for your sharing.
Leslie Cotton says
This was absolutely delicious! I added asparagus as it’s fresh in our garden right now. The biggest compliment came from my husband who is not really a pasta fan – he said “ it was fabulous and make sure you print that recipe!” Thanks!
By the way, although I’m American, we have been living in England for the past twenty years. Scampi here is battered deep fried langostine tails. When Europeans come over they are always so disappointed when they order shrimp scampi!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Leslie, I’m so glad you both enjoyed it, thank you! Asparagus was a great touch. We planted our asparagus bed 3 years ago so technically should have enjoyed our first good harvest this season but unfortunately they were still thinner than a pencil. Crossing our fingers for a great harvest next year!
Whereabouts are you in England? I lived near Peterborough for 7 years. We’re headed to England for our family vacation in another week and a half – it always feels like going home.
Taylor says
This is the perfect date night meal! Yum!
Melanie Bauer says
Sounds so impressive! I’m going to try this for sure, so tasty and flavorful meal!
Erin says
This is seriously making me hungry!
Sara Welch says
Seriously one of my favorite dishes! I can’t wait to make this this week! Perfect with some white wine!
Bob says
I would love to make this for my wife, however she can not have citrus . Is there a good substitute for the lemon?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Bob, lemon is a central ingredient in the flavor profile (both the lemon zest and lemon juice) and unfortunately there just is no substitute. There are a lot of different shrimp scampi recipes online though with different (non-citrus) flavor profiles.
Toffeeapple says
Phew, the title of this recipe caused some confusion since Shrimp is a different species from Langoustine and the tails of the latter is what is used for Scampi. Language is a funny thing isn’t it? Langoustines are also called Dublin Bay Prawns and Norway Lobster!
I like your recipe, despite my confusion. I hope you all had a lovely Easter celebration.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Toffeeapple, I think the confusion here mostly comes down to semantic differences between English and American English :) In the U.S. “Shrimp Scampi” is made using shrimp like the ones called for in this recipe. We probably “should” make a clearer distinction but just lack the sophistication, lol.
We did have a lovely Easter, thank you, and I hope you did as well. We’ll be touching English soil in another 3 weeks and can’t wait to spend a few weeks there again. This time we’ll also be spending a few days in south Wales.
Lora says
My kids just love shrimp scampi! We are making this for dinner tonight!
Lawrence says
Wow, it’s truly quick and easy to cook. The flavor will be impressed with the big fan of shrimp like me. Thank you so much for sharing.