Buttery, flavorful Shrimp Scampi With Pasta is a delicious recipe that’s easy to make with just a few simple ingredients! Ready to serve in 30 minutes, this one-pot shrimp recipe is simple enough to make for a weeknight meal and fancy enough for entertaining!
Looking for more 30-minute meals? Try my Marry Me Chicken or Grilled Steak Salad recipes.
In This Post
I might be slightly biased, but I think this is the BEST Shrimp Scampi recipe out there! The pasta is warm and buttery, tossed in an incredibly flavorful scampi sauce, and the shrimp are beautifully cooked. I’m not a fan when people call something “the best,” so I get your skepticism. But on this one, trust me, because you won’t be disappointed.
Why This Shrimp Scampi Is So Special Recipe?
- Bathed in a vibrant garlic butter sauce, the shrimp and pasta share the spotlight for the perfect balanced bite!
- This 30-minute shrimp scampi recipe is a budget-friendly shrimp meal that’s excellent for a weeknight dinner!
- It’s an elegant shrimp pasta recipe that makes entertaining easy.
Why Is It Called Scampi?
“Scampi” is Italian for a small crustacean or prawn, similar to a mini lobster. Scampi can also refer to the cooking style of shrimp, a staple of Italian-American cuisine in a recipe that uses wine, butter, and garlic.
What You’ll Need To Make Shrimp And Pasta
- Shrimp – Fresh or frozen shrimp is fine, just make sure it’s peeled and cleaned.
- Spices – You’ll need Old Bay seasoning, red pepper flakes, garlic, salt, and black pepper
- The Fat – To cook the shrimp, I like to use a combination of butter and olive oil
- Spaghetti – This pasta noodle is traditional to shrimp scampi, plus most of us have it in our pantry.
- The Scampi Sauce—The liquids that make the sauce are white wine and the juice from one lemon. Use a dry white wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.
Variations And Additions
- This dish is delicious with vegetables stirred in. Try green peas or asparagus.
- Any pasta can be used, but you can also use angel hair pasta, linguini, and substitute zucchini noodles for the veggie lover.
- To make shrimp scampi without wine, you can use chicken stock.
- This recipe also works great with any size shrimp (cooking time will vary by size) and even prawns!
How To Make The Best Shrimp Scampi
- Step One: Boil the pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- Step Two: While the pasta cooks, season the shrimp and add it to the pan with oil and melted butter.
- Step Three: saute the shrimp in oil and butter until they turn pink. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
- Step Four: reduce the heat to low and add additional butter. Saute the garlic, then add the wine and stir while it reduces.
- Step Five: stir in the lemon juice to the sauce, then add the shrimp back in.
- Step Six: add in the pasta and stir to coat. If it’s too thick, add some pasta water. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Donya’s Success Tips
- If you think the sauce needs pasta water, add ¼ cup at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
- Salt your pasta water! This has such a yummy impact on the overall flavor of the dish.
- Because this recipe has so few ingredients, fresh garlic cloves are a must for the most flavor!
- Be sure to use a large skillet to make the dish AND toss everything together.
Questions And Answers
It depends on personal preference! I like to buy the shrimp that is already peeled. If you can’t find pre-peeled shrimp at your grocery store, you can absolutely peel it yourself.
You can use either fresh or frozen shrimp for this recipe. Thaw frozen shrimp in the refrigerator overnight or run under cool water for 5 minutes until defrosted.
Any leftovers can be kept in airtight containers for up to four days. Note that the sauce does not reheat well and must be reheated on the stove with additional liquid.
What To Serve With Shrimp Scampi And Pasta
When meal planning, I love to include this easy shrimp scampi recipe for a quick dinner on busy nights. I add a fresh green salad or air fryer green beans and garlic Parmesan skillet rolls to make the meal complete.
Craving More? Try These Pasta Dishes
If you tried this Shrimp Scampi With Pasta Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
Ingredients
- 1 pound peeled and cleaned shrimp
- 2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoon butter
- dash of red pepper flakes
- 2 cloves of garlic – minced
- ¾ cup of white wine or chicken stock
- juice of one lemon
- salt and pepper
- 1 lb of spaghetti pasta
Instructions
- Place shrimp in a bowl and sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning. Set aside to marinate.
- Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a cast iron skillet. When butter is melted, add shrimp. Cook shrimp, searing on each side until they are done (they will turn pink in color.) Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.
- Reduce heat to low. Add additional 2 tablespoons of butter along with the garlic to skillet. When butter is melted, scrape up brown bits from bottom of pan. Add white wine and stir sauce. Continue to cook sauce, letting it reduce while pasta cooks.
- Heat water in a large pot and cook spaghetti per package directions for “al dente” doneness. Drain pasta reserving 1 cup of cooking water.
- Add lemon juice to sauce in skillet, stirring to incorporate. Add shrimp along with any juices back into to sauce.
- Add pasta into skillet with shrimp. Stir to coat spaghetti with sauce. If sauce is too thick or tight, add ¼ cup of pasta and stir. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
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Donya's Top Ten Summer Recipes!
Steal my favorites for a done-for-you menu that packs in the flavor
I love this recipe of your’s, and sooooo many more. Unfortunately i lost it and had to look for and find it. Making it today. Thank You
Glad you found it, Mary! Thank you for the great rating.
~Donya
Wonderful and delicious
Thank you so much!
~Donya
Easy and tasty
Thank you, Allen!
~Donya
Great meal I live in Galveston and my friends have a shrimp boat
I made this for my hunny on Father’s Day and he absolutely loved it!
Thank you for reaching out and the terrific rating!
~Donya
Thanks so much! Corrected. Have a great day.
~Donya