Shrimp Scampi
intro
Buttery, garlicky shrimp in a bright white wine-lemon sauce tossed with linguine: an elegant, restaurant-quality meal that comes together in just 25 minutes.
Ingredients
Steps
Cook the linguine
Bring a large pot filled with 4 liters (1 gallon) of heavily salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add 340 grams of linguine, cook for 9 minutes until al dente (firm to the bite). Reserve 60 ml (¼ cup) of starchy pasta water, then drain the pasta and set aside; do not rinse, as surface starch helps the sauce cling to noodles.
Prep the seasoned shrimp
Pat 680 grams of peeled, deveined raw shrimp completely dry with paper towels, then season evenly with ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) of kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon (0.5 grams) of black pepper. Let the seasoned shrimp rest at room temperature for 5 minutes to absorb seasoning before cooking.
Sauté garlic aromatics
Heat 60 ml (¼ cup) of extra-virgin olive oil in a large, deep stainless steel skillet over medium-low heat (160°C / 325°F). Add 24 grams of minced garlic and ¼ teaspoon (0.5 grams) of red pepper flakes, sautéing for 30 seconds while stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant but not browned (burnt garlic will make the sauce bitter).
Sear the seasoned shrimp
Increase stovetop heat to medium (175°C / 350°F). Arrange seasoned shrimp in a single, even layer in the skillet, cooking in two separate batches if needed to avoid crowding (crowding causes steaming instead of searing). Cook 1.5 minutes on the first side until edges turn opaque pink, then flip each shrimp and cook 1 additional minute on the second side. Transfer seared shrimp to a clean plate and set aside.
Simmer the scampi sauce
Keep the skillet at medium heat, pour 120 ml (½ cup) of dry white wine into the pan, scraping up all browned flavorful bits from the pan bottom with a wooden spoon. Simmer the wine for 3 minutes until reduced by half, then stir in 113 grams of unsalted butter, 45 ml of fresh lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, whisking steadily until the butter melts into a smooth, glossy pale gold sauce.
Toss and serve immediately
Return seared shrimp and any accumulated plate juices to the skillet with the sauce, add drained linguine, and toss all ingredients together over low heat (150°C / 300°F) for 2 minutes to coat evenly. If the sauce is too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of reserved pasta water to reach a light, coating consistency. Toss in 15 grams of chopped fresh parsley, remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper, then serve right away.
Tips
2.Avoid overcooking shrimp: they only need 2.5 minutes of searing time, as they will continue to cook in the hot sauce, and overcooked shrimp becomes tough and rubbery.
3.Use a drinkable dry white wine for the sauce; grocery store 'cooking wine' contains high levels of added salt and preservatives that make the sauce taste flat and overly salty.
OMG this classic garlic shrimp scampi is SO good!!! I made it for last night’s family dinner and my kids devoured it before I even sat down at the table. Used a little extra parmesan on top like I do with all pasta dishes, game changer. So easy to throw together after work too, didn’t even have to stress about a long cook time.
Super solid easy recipe! I prepped all the garlic and measured out the white wine and butter on Sunday so this came together in literally 15 minutes on Monday night. Only knock is I wish the recipe noted how big the shrimp should be – I used extra colossal ones and they took a couple minutes longer to cook through, but it still turned out great. Brought leftovers for lunch today and my coworker asked for the recipe immediately!
Brought this to my neighborhood potluck last weekend and people were literally hovering over the platter. The garlic butter is so flavorful, I dipped crusty sourdough in the leftover sauce and thought I’d died and gone to heaven. 10/10 will be making this for every gathering from now on.
Finally a scampi recipe that doesn’t require a ton of fancy ingredients! I swapped the regular pasta for gluten-free linguine and it worked perfectly. The lemon squeeze at the end adds such a bright pop, I didn’t even miss the gluten at all.
Wait y’all I’m literally a total beginner in the kitchen and I didn’t mess this up!!! I was so nervous to make something for my first date night at my apartment, but this took 25 minutes exactly like the recipe said and my date thought I was a professional chef. Only thing is I accidentally used salted butter instead of unsalted, was that bad? It still tasted amazing to me lmao
Made this last night and it was a hit with all three of my boys, even the super picky one who refuses to eat any seafood usually! I served it over angel hair pasta with roasted broccoli on the side, and even my husband went back for thirds. Way easier than running out for takeout, and way cheaper too.
Just made this for a quick weeknight dinner after getting home from the gym and WOW. The garlic to butter ratio is perfect, no weird overpowering flavors, just bright, rich, delicious. I ate way more than I planned to, no regrets. Will be adding this to my regular dinner rotation for sure.