Shrimp Scampi
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You won’t believe how easy this comes together in just 15 minutes – perfect for those busy weeknights!
This may be hard to believe but this really comes together very quickly. The only time consuming part may be peeling the shrimp, but if you’re short on time, you can purchase the pre-peeled ones. Hey, I’m not one to judge – I’ve done that on several occasions, especially on those super busy weeknights.
Ingredients
Linguine
Linguine is always our go-to since it holds onto all that lovely saucy goodness but you can also substitute spaghetti or fettuccine.
Butter
For richness and creaminess, of course.
Shrimp
Peeled, deveined and thawed overnight (or a quick 5-10 min thaw under cold running water).
Garlic and red pepper flakes
For maximum flavor. You can increase the amount of red pepper flakes for extra heat and spiciness.
White wine
A dry white wine is great here (pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc).
Lemon juice/zest
A little bit of acid goes a long way to help balance out the flavors and richness of the butter. Freshly squeezed is always the way to go (over the bottled stuff).
Parmesan
Add your finishing touches with a healthy dusting of freshly grated Parm.
Once your shrimp is ready to go, you’ll cook your shrimp in a bit of butter, deglazing your pan with wine (or chicken stock) and freshly squeezed lemon juice, and then tossing in that cooked al dente linguine. You can garnish with some freshly grated Parmesan and serve right out of the pan.
It’s quick, it’s simple, it’s fast, and it is so so good. Serve with all the crusty bread and leftover white wine for a complete meal.
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
Shrimp Scampi: Frequently Asked Questions
You can thaw frozen shrimp overnight, transferring it from the freezer to the fridge the day before. For a quick thaw, you can run them under cold water until completely thawed, about 5-10 minutes. Pat them dry as thoroughly as possible to remove any excess moisture (so they can brown nicely and evenly).
Chicken stock can be used for white wine as a non-alcoholic substitute.
Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients
- 8 ounces linguine
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more, to taste
- ¼ cup white wine*
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
- Melt butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add shrimp, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pink, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in wine and lemon juice. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes; remove from heat.
- Stir in pasta, lemon zest and parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately, topped with Parmesan.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
I was wondering if there is any way to make this a one pot meal? Or could I cook the pasta in some chicken stock (I’m using that instead of the wine) to give it more flavour? Or is that totally not necessary at all?
That sounds like a great idea but without further recipe testing, I cannot advise for sure if this will work or not. Please use your best judgment to convert this recipe to a one pot meal.
I added heavy cream, diced heirloom tomatoes and of course, the pepper flakes. It was amazing! Thank you, and to your little dog too 🙂 Such a cutie.
Any recipe that is interrupted by a corgi must be worth trying. Such a ball of cuteness. Mine sits at my feet every second I am in the kitchen.
Tried this recipe last night and it was super easy and super yummy!!! I highly recommend! Thank you so much for the recipe!
I am excited I just made this wonderful meal and it looks and smells marvelous! I am serving a couple of crab legs on the side too! 🙂
I’ve already made this several times, an it’s so delicious an easy. Can I use cooked shrimp? Will they end up being tough, you think?
Yes, I worry that they will get overcooked.
I want your puppy!!! What a patooters! :}
Great recipes – and adorable dog!!
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I love your blog, and I’m looking forward to trying this recipe out very soon! Just a quick question, do you leave the tails on the shrimp while they are cooked? Thanks!
Seanna, that’s completely up to you. I tend to leave it on for photographic purposes.
I saw this on Pinterest and decided to try this for dinner tonight! My four year old said it was “delicious!!” In her eyes that’s equivalent to a five star rating 🙂 I loved it
Too!
This looks so easy and so good!! I decided to try it because 1.) I like the name of your blog and 2.) we love corgi’s, my inlaws have 2 but they are older. I immediately called my hubby over to look at the puppy corgi (:
I really appreciate the *non-alcoholic substitute 🙂 so nice to not have to look up what I should put in a recipe instead of the alcohol option. Looking forward to trying this out!
Your puppy is so darn cute!!!!! I’m going to try this recipe tonight..
what an adorable puppy!!
oh sweet, how cute your dog is.
and i love to eat shrimp and i think i even love it a lot. its mouthwatering, i cant help it. i’ll make one when i get home.
I love how quick shrimp scampi is – perfect for weeknights! This recipe looks heavenly!! Pinned!
I love your site and the fact that all your recipes are simple plus economical. I’ve found my new go to website for dinner options, off to see what your breakie page has to offer.
This is a pretty good recipe, but I think it needs less red pepper next time. It was so spicy it overpowered the other flavours and my lips are still burning. I think I’ll probably leave it out next time 🙂
Yes, I recommend omitting the red pepper flakes completely if it is too spicy for you. But honestly for me, I think I could’ve added more! 🙂
I make this a lot but usually I add a few red pepper flakes, broccoli and sauted mushrooms.