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Shrimp Scampi

Name: Shrimp Scampi
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 300 g Linguine; 500 g Shrimp; 6 cloves Garlic; 4 tbsp Butter; 2 tbsp Olive oil; 0.5 cup Dry white wine; 1 Lemon; 4 tbsp Parsley; 0.5 tsp Red pepper flakes; Salt and pepper; 1 cup Pasta water

An Italian-American classic: shrimp seared in garlic butter, deglazed with white wine and finished with lemon and parsley over linguine. One pan, 15 minutes, and it tastes like a restaurant plate — the best return on effort you can serve guests.

Ingredients

4servings

Linguine · or spaghetti300 g
Shrimp · peeled, medium-large500 g
Garlic · thinly sliced6 cloves
Butter · added in two halves4 tbsp
Olive oil2 tbsp
Dry white wine · or chicken stock0.5 cup
Lemon · juice + zest1
Parsley · chopped4 tbsp
Red pepper flakes · optional0.5 tsp
Salt and pepper · to taste
Set aside
Pasta water · for loosening the sauce1 cup

Steps

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the linguine 1 minute short of the package time, and reserve a cup of the pasta water before draining.
⏲ 9 min
Pat the shrimp completely dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Wet shrimp steam instead of searing.
Heat the olive oil and 2 tbsp butter in a wide pan over medium-high. Add the shrimp in a single uncrowded layer and sear just 1 minute per side — pull them onto a plate while still slightly underdone.
⏲ 3 min
Lower the heat to medium and add the garlic and pepper flakes to the same pan for 30–45 seconds, just until fragrant. Move on before the garlic browns or it turns bitter.
⏲ 1 min
Pour in the wine and reduce by half, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. The raw alcohol cooks off and leaves the aroma behind.
⏲ 3 min
Turn the heat low, add the remaining 2 tbsp butter and the lemon juice, and swirl the pan constantly to emulsify. Splash in pasta water until the sauce coats a spoon.
⏲ 2 min
Add the drained pasta and the shrimp, tossing 30–60 seconds so the residual heat finishes the shrimp. Stir in the parsley and lemon zest, season, and serve straight away.
⏲ 1 min

Tips & Variations

Variations

Without pasta: Serve the shrimp in their sauce with crusty bread for mopping — a very common way to eat scampi.
Creamy scampi: Finish with 3 tbsp heavy cream for a richer, rounder sauce.
Chicken scampi: Swap in thinly sliced chicken breast; it needs longer in the pan than shrimp.
Baked scampi: Transfer to a baking dish, top with breadcrumbs and Parmesan, and bake at 200°C for 10 minutes.
No wine: Use ½ cup chicken stock plus 1 tbsp lemon juice for a similar brightness.

Tips

Drying the shrimp is half the dish. Wet shrimp release water and poach instead of searing.
Cook the shrimp in two stages: 1 minute per side, out of the pan, then back in at the end. That's what keeps them from turning rubbery.
Never let the garlic brown — take it to fragrant only, then deglaze.
Add the butter after lowering the heat or the sauce will break.
Pasta water is the emulsifier. Plain water won't hold the butter and oil together.
Add lemon juice at the end; simmered too long it turns bitter.
Parmesan on seafood pasta isn't traditional, but add it if that's your preference.

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