Easy Shrimp Scampi Pasta Recipe (The BEST!) - foodiecrush (2024)

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Fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil bring summertime flavors to a classic dinner of Shrimp Scampi Pasta.

Fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil. Three ingredients that magically transform into very special recipes when a few simple additions are made.Add toasted bread and you have Bruschetta. Add mozzarella and you’ve just made a classic caprese.This recipe for shrimp scampi pasta takes those simple, classic flavors and with a twirl of a fork wrapped around slinky angel hair pasta puts the fresh taste of summer smack dab on your dinner table.

When the summer temps hit 95 degrees and up, as they do from July through August since I live in the desert mountains of the West, you won’t usually find me in the kitchen cooking over a hot pot on the stove.I’m much more of a grill girl when it comes down to dinnertime in the summertime.

Correction: I’m much more of a watching my guy grill when it comes to dinnertime. That’s why if we’re having shrimp, it’s usually been seasoned and skewered and lit up on the charcoals.But a summer of grilling isn’t always what I’m craving when I’m chilling.

The essence of summer was what I was craving when I saw shrimp at the grocery store and had a bunch of ripe tomatoes on my counter. Toss in some fresh chopped garlic, a handful of basil from the garden and I was on my way to a summer dinner wonderland.

I made this with low-carb pasta, which requires less time to cook than traditional pasta, making it an even quicker cook than usual. Getting me out of the kitchen and back to summertime chilling.

What’s in Shrimp Scampi?

In the spirit of simple summer dinners, I tried to keep the ingredients list for this easy shrimp scampi short and sweet. For this shrimp scampi with angel hair pasta, you’ll need:

  • Angel hair pasta
  • Kosher salt
  • Olive oil
  • Garlic
  • Crushed red pepper flakes
  • Shrimp
  • White wine
  • Lemon
  • Tomato
  • Butter
  • Basil
  • Parmesan cheese

How to Make Shrimp Scampi Pasta

You’ll first need to salt a pot of water and cook the angel hair pasta according to package instructions. You want the pasta to be al dente (it it’s too mushy, it won’t hold up next to the shrimp). Once the pasta is cooked, reserve a bit of the cooking water before draining.

Meanwhile, sauté the garlic and red pepper flakes in a little olive oil just until fragrant. Add the shrimp and cook until pink throughout.

Add in the wine, lemon juice, tomatoes, and butter, and cook until the butter is melted. Gently stir in the drained pasta and pour in a little pasta water to make the shrimp scampi more saucy, if desired. Garnish your homemade shrimp scampi with torn basil leaves and grated Parmesan cheese.

Can I Use Another Type of Pasta?

Angel hair pasta is the usual choice for shrimp scampi, but any long, thin noodle will work. A thin spaghetti would work well here, as would linguine.

Can I Make This in Advance?

I don’t recommend prepping this easy shrimp scampi in advance, no. Shrimp doesn’t reheat well, so you should enjoy this shrimp scampi right away.

Tips for Making Shrimp Scampi

For the best flavor, I recommend using real white wine (not white cooking wine) and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Because this shrimp scampi pasta is so simple, it’s important that you use the best ingredients possible when making it.

Also note that you should generously salt the pasta water before cooking the pasta. You want every layer of this dish to be well seasoned, and bland pasta is a major no-no in this recipe.

Lastly, if you don’t have shrimp or it’s not within your budget, you could try making this pasta with diced chicken breasts instead. You’ll definitely want to season the chicken generously since it’s not as flavorful as shrimp, but I bet it’d work well here!

More Easy Pasta Recipes You’ll Love

  • Fresh Tomato and Ricotta Whole Wheat Pasta
  • Pasta with Turkey Sausage and Peas
  • Easy Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
  • Linguine con Vongole (Linguine with Clam Sauce)
  • One-Pot Penne Pasta with Turkey and Spinach

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram or Twitter with #foodiecrusheats.

Print

4.49 from 37 votes

Shrimp Scampi Pasta

Fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil bring summertime flavors to a classic dinner of Shrimp Scampi Pasta.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword shrimp, shrimp scampi

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 539.39kcal

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces angel hair pasta
  • kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
  • ¾ cup white wine
  • juice of one lemon
  • 1 ½ cups seeded and chopped tomato
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup chopped basil
  • grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil and then salt generously with kosher salt. Add angel hair pasta and cook according for 8-10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, reserving ⅓ cup or so of pasta water and set aside.

  • While pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the garlic and the red pepper flakes. Cook for one minute or until garlic becomes fragrant. Add theshrimp and season with kosher salt. Cook for two minutes on one side then flip and cook for another minute or until just cooked through.

  • Add white wine, lemon and tomatoes and cook for another two minutes. Add butter and stir until butter melts through. Add pasta and cook to warm through while adding pasta water for more sauce if desired. Garnish basil and parmesan cheese and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 539.39kcal | Carbohydrates: 57.07g | Protein: 33.22g | Fat: 15.45g | Saturated Fat: 4.99g | Cholesterol: 300.81mg | Sodium: 943.03mg | Potassium: 421.99mg | Fiber: 2.94g | Sugar: 3.84g | Vitamin A: 835.68IU | Vitamin C: 13.47mg | Calcium: 197.88mg | Iron: 3.71mg

More Shrimp Recipes to Try

  • My Favorite Shrimp and Grits Recipe
  • Grilled Shrimp Vietnamese Spring Rolls
  • Chipotle Lime Shrimp Bowls
  • Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Crema
  • Saucy Greek Baked Shrimp

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Easy Shrimp Scampi Pasta Recipe (The BEST!) - foodiecrush (2024)

FAQs

What is the sauce of shrimp scampi made of? ›

Scampi sauce.

In this garlic shrimp scampi, the sauce is made with a bit of butter, olive oil, white wine, garlic, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice. If you like, a little parsley for garnish.

How do you thicken scampi sauce? ›

Scampi sauce is meant to be fairly thin since it's largely butter-based. If you would like a thicker sauce, consider adding a slurry made with cornstarch or add some heavy cream. Cream will also make the sauce richer.

What is scampi sauce made of olive garden? ›

What is Olive Garden Scampi Sauce Made Of? The main ingredients of this sauce are butter, onion, garlic, white wine, chicken stock, and herbs.

What is black stuff in scampi? ›

The marking is made up of the shellfish's stomach, midgut, and intestine. Those structures support the crustacean's digestive process, so yes, that black stuff is the shrimp's waste, she says.

What's the best wine for shrimp scampi? ›

The best wine for shrimp scampi is a dry, crisp white wine. We reach for Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or unoaked Chardonnay. The most important thing to remember is to use something you enjoy. Our scampi recipe calls for 1/2 cup of wine, so you will have some leftover to enjoy with the shrimp.

What can I use as a substitute for white wine in shrimp scampi? ›

Shrimp Scampi without wine

Wine can be omitted completely OR substitute with chicken broth if you wish. Chicken broth has a much better flavour than fish broth, however, if you have homemade fish broth laying around, you can definitely use that!

Why is my shrimp scampi dry? ›

Your shrimp scampi is probably dry because the shrimp cooked too long and dried out. Shrimp go from raw to overcooked fast. Watch the shrimp as they cook, they only need about two minutes.

Why is my scampi mushy? ›

Undercook and they'll be mushy and translucent; overcook and they'll be rubbery and nearly inedible. The best way to tell when shrimp are cooked through is to look for visual cues: “Watch for the shrimp to curl and turn opaque,” says Kendra. Undercooked shrimp will be gray and translucent, with uncurled tails.

What not to do when cooking shrimp? ›

  1. Mistake #1: Buying Shrimp With the Heads Still On.
  2. Mistake #2: Not Deveining Your Shrimp.
  3. Mistake #3: Thawing Improperly.
  4. Mistake #4: Overcooking.
  5. Mistake #5: Throwing Away the Shells.

Why add baking soda to shrimp before cooking? ›

Alkaline baking soda slightly alters the pH of the shrimp, making them as plump and succulent as lobster and resistant to overcooking. The brine also causes the meat to pull away from the shells while cooking, so you get all the great flavor of shell-on shrimp without the hassle.

What's the difference between scampi and shrimp scampi? ›

It's widely believed the “scampi” refers to the style of cooking the shrimp — and this usage is typically accepted — though it's not totally technically accurate. The word “scampi” is Italian for a type of small crustacean akin to a mini lobster.

Why is scampi so expensive? ›

Much of our langoustine is exported to Europe where the whole fish still in its shell is highly prized. But most langoustines end up as scampi. Although langoustines are relatively abundant, scampi's popularity means it is expensive.

What is traditional scampi made from? ›

Scampi are tiny, lobster-like crustaceans with pale pink shells (also called langoustines). Italian cooks in the United States swapped shrimp for scampi, but kept both names. Thus the dish was born, along with inevitable variations.

What is proper scampi made from? ›

In most countries, especially Italy, scampi means the peeled tail of pretty much any kind of prawn but in the UK it refers to the meat of just one special prawn: the langoustine. Langoustine is a small lobster found in the colder waters of Scotland, Ireland and Norway.

What is original scampi? ›

* The word scampi is the plural of scampo, the Italian name for the breaded prawns or langoustine. In Italy Scampi can be breaded prawns of any kind but in Britain scampi has to be langoustine. So our beautiful breaded scampi is a British dish with a history going back to the 1700s and an Italian inspired name.

What flavor is scampi? ›

Scampi tastes like shrimp. It's kinda bland, except for a slight fishy taste, but with butter, spices of your choice, garlic and wine wine sauce… yum!

Why do people say shrimp scampi? ›

It's widely believed the “scampi” refers to the style of cooking the shrimp — and this usage is typically accepted — though it's not totally technically accurate. The word “scampi” is Italian for a type of small crustacean akin to a mini lobster.

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