Easy Shrimp Scampi Pasta
Easy Shrimp Scampi Pasta comes together in about 30 minutes with a buttery, garlicky sauce brightened by white wine and fresh lemon juice. Thick spaghetti holds up to the sauce, and the shrimp sears right in the same pan, so the whole dinner comes together in one skillet plus a pasta pot.
Shrimp Scampi Pasta Recipe
Shrimp scampi always feels like a bit of a splurge, even though it's made from stuff you probably already have on hand. It's one of the recipes I reach for on nights when I want something that feels special without turning the kitchen into a disaster zone.
The shrimp cooks right in the same pan as the sauce, seared in olive oil and butter until just pink, then finished with a quick hit of wine and lemon juice. Stirring in the last of the butter off the heat is what pulls the sauce together into something silky, without needing any cream or flour.
Fresh garlic does a lot of the flavor work here, backed up by garlic powder and Italian seasoning for a deeper, more layered garlic flavor than fresh garlic alone would give you. Chop the garlic fine so it melts into the oil instead of standing out in big chunks, and keep an eye on it. It burns fast.
If you want a version that finishes in the oven instead of on the stovetop, my Jumbo Shrimp Scampi uses a similar butter and garlic base with a bake instead of a sear.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ready In About 30 Minutes - The whole dish, start to finish, in one pan plus a pasta pot.
- Big, Layered Garlic Flavor - Fresh garlic, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning all work together.
- Bright, Not Heavy - Wine and lemon juice keep the sauce light instead of rich and cream-based.
- One-Pan Sauce - The shrimp and sauce cook together in the same skillet, so there's less to clean up.
- Easy To Make Your Own - Add red pepper flakes, swap in scallops, or stir in a splash of cream for a richer version.
Try my Spot Prawn Linguine!
Recipe Shopping List
Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here's the list of items you'll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Peeled And Deveined Shrimp - Raw shrimp sears right in the pan and soaks up the garlic butter sauce as it cooks.
- Thick Spaghetti - Holds up to the sauce better than thin noodles. Linguine or fettuccine work too, but skip angel hair. It gets lost under the sauce.
- Fresh Garlic - Chopped fine so it melts into the oil and butter instead of standing out in big chunks.
- Olive Oil - Forms the base of the sauce alongside the butter.
- Butter - Split into two additions. The first sears the shrimp, and the rest gets stirred in at the end to thicken the sauce.
- White Wine - Deglazes the pan and adds acidity. Pick something you'd actually drink. Skip the bottled "cooking wine" by the vinegar at the store.
- Fresh Lemon Juice - Adds the classic scampi brightness. Bottled juice works in a pinch, but fresh tastes noticeably better.
- Salt & Black Pepper - Season the shrimp before it hits the pan.
- Garlic Powder & Onion Powder - Round out and deepen the garlic flavor from the fresh cloves.
- Italian Seasoning - A simple herb blend that adds a savory backbone.
- Fresh Parsley - Adds color and a fresh finish right at the end.
- Parmesan Cheese - A light dusting at the end, not a heavy cheese sauce. Freshly shredded melts better than the bagged kind.
Try my Blackened Shrimp Pasta next!
How To Make This Recipe
This is just the overview so you can see what you're actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you'll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
- Prep The Garlic And Shrimp - Chop the garlic fine, and season the shrimp with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning.
- Sear The Shrimp - Melt the olive oil and half the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until it just starts to sizzle, then add the shrimp. Sear for about 90 seconds, flip, and cook 2 more minutes.
- Deglaze With Wine And Lemon - Turn the heat to high, add the white wine and lemon juice, and cover the pan for about 90 seconds.
- Finish The Sauce - Remove the lid, turn off the heat, and let the pan rest for a minute. Stir in the remaining butter until melted. This is what thickens the sauce.
- Cook The Pasta - While the shrimp cooks, boil the spaghetti in salted water until al dente, then drain.
- Combine And Serve - Toss the pasta with the shrimp and sauce in a large bowl. Top with parmesan and parsley, and serve family-style.
Recipe FAQ
"Scampi" is the Italian word for langoustine, a small lobster-like shellfish that isn't common in American waters. When Italian-American cooks couldn't easily get langoustine, they made the same garlic butter preparation with shrimp instead and kept the name. So "shrimp scampi" basically translates to "shrimp, cooked scampi-style," not a specific ingredient.
Yes. Skip the initial sear and add the pre-cooked shrimp in with the wine and lemon juice, just long enough to warm through, about a minute. Cooking it longer will make it tough.
Either works well. Most "fresh" shrimp at the seafood counter was previously frozen anyway, so buying a bag of frozen shrimp and thawing it yourself is usually the better value. Thaw it in the fridge overnight, or in a bowl of cold water if you're short on time, and pat it dry before cooking.
This recipe uses thick spaghetti on purpose. Thinner shapes like angel hair get lost under the sauce, so stick with a sturdier long pasta like linguine, fettuccine, or thick spaghetti.
Look for a dry white wine like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or a dry Chardonnay. Sweet wines, and bottled "cooking wine," throw off the balance of the sauce.
Yes. Swap the wine for chicken broth with an extra squeeze of lemon juice to mimic the acidity and moisture the wine adds.
You can cook the shrimp and sauce up to 2 hours ahead. Reheat it gently and toss with freshly cooked pasta right before serving so the noodles don't turn mushy.
Yes. Use your favorite gluten-free pasta in place of the spaghetti. For dairy-free, swap the butter for a plant-based butter and skip the parmesan.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water or broth so the shrimp doesn't overcook.
Try my Traeger Seafood Alfredo!
Recipe Variations
- Make It Creamy - Stir in a splash of heavy cream along with the last of the butter for a richer, silkier sauce.
- Make It Spicy - Add a pinch of red pepper flakes along with the garlic.
- Bulk It Up With Vegetables - Stir in wilted spinach, sauteed asparagus, or halved cherry tomatoes right before serving.
- Swap The Protein - This sauce works well with scallops or a firm white fish in place of the shrimp.
Serve This With...
More Shrimp Recipes
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Easy Shrimp Scampi Pasta
Easy shrimp scampi pasta is a show-stopper, but an easy weeknight dinner to throw together.
Ingredients
- 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
- 1 pound thick spaghetti
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 tablespoons butter, divided
- ¼ cup white wine
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat parsley
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the spaghetti.
- Heat the olive oil and 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and cook until it just starts to sizzle.
- Add the shrimp and sprinkle with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Cook for about 90 seconds, then flip and cook 2 more minutes on the other side.
- Turn the heat to high, add the white wine and lemon juice, and cover the pan for about 90 seconds.
- Remove the lid, turn off the heat, and let the pan rest for 1 minute. Stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter until melted to thicken the sauce.
- Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until al dente, then drain.
- Add the noodles to a large bowl, pour the shrimp and sauce over the top, and toss to combine.
- Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and parsley, and serve family-style.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 Amounts Per Serving: Calories: 614Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 14gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 291mgSodium: 1610mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 35gNutrition data provided here is only an estimate. If you are tracking these things for medical purposes please consult an outside, trusted source. Thanks!
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