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.
Katerina says
Such a fantastic meal!! Incredibly delicious!!
Beth Pierce says
I have been cooking with shrimp lately, but haven’t made this recipe yet! I will be giving this a try this week; looks splendid!
Lizzie says
I love this recipe, it’s perfect. My pet peeve is when shells, even just the tails of the shrimp, are left on in hot dishes that require you eat with a fork. I really don’t think it improves the visual or the taste and it makes it more difficult to cut around the tail. The tails are fine left on for shrimp cocktail, etc.
Alexis Charles says
Finally found the time to cook today and your recipe is AWESOME….I absolutely love it….I can taste the lemon and the garlic but they’re not too strong of a taste. I generally don’t like spicy so I didn’t use the red pepper and I like a lot of sauce so I doubled the amount of lemon, wine, butter and Olive oil and it still came out perfect!!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful, Alexis, I’m so happy to hear it, thank you!
Alexis Charles says
Hello. Is there a specific white wine you’d recommend? I’ve never used it before and I don’t drink so I’m completely clueless when it comes to cooking with wine.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Alexis! I don’t drink either, I only cook with it so I’m no wine expert either. But generally the top recommended “go-to” dry white wines for cooking include Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chablis and Chardonnay. Any of these will go great with this scampi. Happy cooking!
jennifer says
HI Kimberly! Tasty and simple, I’ll do this recipe again but mine came out a little dry. Maybe I used too much noodles? Can I make it a little ‘saucier’?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jennifer, it definitely shouldn’t have been dry – likely either too many noodles or overcooked noodles. That’s a simple fix though, simply add a little extra butter, wine and lemon to the sauce.
Judy Conway says
I am out of parmesan cheese…is there a substitute?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Judy, you could substitute another hard, aged cheese that you can grate. It has to be hard/aged though otherwise you’ll end up with gooey cheese in your scampi! :)
devinzgrandma says
I made this for dinner last night and received the highest compliment I’ve ever received. Hubby told me that you couldn’t have had a better meal at a five-star restaurant! This is most certainly going to be made repeatedly at our house. Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful, you’ve made my day, thank you!! And your husband’s totally right – sometimes the only thing that distinguishes a 5-star restaurant meal from a great home-cooked meal is the price tag ;)
Rolf Eustergerling says
Hi Kimberly,
just for sake of completeness. This one’s really easy. First time that waiting for the pasta water to boil lasts longer than the preparation of the main part. But as easy as it is as delicious is it. An A+ from my wife with an “we can do it again next week”.
Seems you got a greater influence on my citchen now than my grandma…
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Rolf! Yes, this dish is super quick to make and I usually start the pasta cooking in advance (or just keep the finished scampi dish warm until the pasta is ready…shhhhhhh). I’m thrilled you both enjoyed it and, as always, really appreciate your feedback!
Cheryl da Mimi says
The recipe sounds delicious, but I totally dislike when people leave the tail on shrimp. It might look fancy, but it’s a real hassle to eat because you have to take the tail shell off of each and every shrimp before you can eat the dish. Unless you want to eat the tail shell (ewww) I’d say leave the tail off to make it easier for your guests to eat. Of course, that’s just my humble opinion and to each his own. :)
The Daring Gourmet says
Cheryl, I agree with you. And the fact is, I don’t even like shrimp to begin with! I make seafood for my husband because he loves it. And yes, leaving the tail on is purely for appearance sake – it just looks neater that way. That’s the only reason. For a special, fancier meal I’ll leave them on but if it’s just a casual meal, I usually remove them.
Lisa D. says
Made this for supper. My husband is not a big pasta fan, but really loved this dish. It is very simple to make and delicious. Thanks. Lisa D.
The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful, Lisa! I’m so happy to hear that you both enjoyed it – and that you even managed to convert your husband in the process!
Susan Sept says
I really enjoyed this one.
The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Susan! It’s one of my husband’s favorites.
Ratna says
What is the recipe for the second picture given in the banner on the top of the page?
Thanks!
The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Ratna! That picture is of my Polenta Lasagna. You’ll find the recipe here: http://www.daringgourmet.com/2013/02/18/polenta-lasagna/
It can be made up to a couple of days in advance (the sauce can be made way ahead and frozen), is pretty simple to make and assemble, and looks simply gorgeous.
Rebecca L says
would this still taste good if i omitted the wine? should i substitute it with something else if i don’t want to use alcohol?
The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Rebecca! While there really isn’t an adequate substitute for wine flavor-wise, I would recommend substituting the 1/2 cup of white wine with a combination of chicken broth, 2-3 tablespoons of apple juice, an extra tablespoon of lemon juice and butter (all to equal 1/2 cup liquid total).
drgaellon says
May I offer a recipe-writing suggestion? Never use “package” – different times and places will have different-sized packages. I assume you mean one pound of linguine?
The Daring Gourmet says
Hi drgaellon! That was less a stylistic issue than it was a complete oversight! :) Somehow left out the quantity. It’s now been updated. Thanks for catching that and bringing it to my attention!
Shannon {Cozy Country Living} says
This looks so good! My husband just loves Shrimp Scampi! I can’t wait to try this! I am your newest follower on Twitter and I look forward to seeing what you come up with next!
The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Shannon! My husband’s a big shrimp scampi fan, too, and he loves this recipe. Let me know what you and your husband think! Thanks for stopping by and for the Twitter follow!
Sherri says
My husband loves this shrimp dish too! Fast. Easy. Flavorful. I made gluten free spaghetti noodles; perfect. Thanks for another family favorite.
The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic! So glad you gave it try and I’m happy to hear it was a hit! I appreciate your feedback.
Leah says
Do you make the noodles separate and add them at the end?
The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks for visiting, Leah. Yes, prepare the noodles according to package instructions and serve the sauce over them.
Claire D says
It is too close to lunch for me to see such an amazing photo – looks scrumptious. I love Shrimp Scampi and your recipe looks yummy. This photo looks so enticing I could eat it right off the monitor. Gotta go, a tuna fish sandwich is waiting for me!
The Daring Gourmet says
Haha! Thanks for the compliment, Claire. I just checked out your website (lovely) and you’re clearly a talented cook – no doubt that tuna sandwich you’re minimizing is in reality mouth-drippingly delicious! Thank for visiting.
Madonna/aka/Ms. Lemon says
The dish looks delicious, the photos are gorgeous, and it looks easy. This should be on everyone’s menu.
The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you for your kind and generous compliments. It’s super easy, fast, elegant and delicious…the perfect combination.