I must confess that the first time I heard of Shrimp Scampi was when I met Rob. After a long conversation about whether or not to add cream and parmesan, I finally made this pasta Italian style and he agreed that it was delicious, fresh and divine… ok maybe he was a little biased!

What is exactly shrimp scampi? In Italy, we call this recipe pasta con gli scampi, which is not shrimp, but langoustines. Langoustines are crustaceans with pink flesh and claws, usually larger than jumbo shrimp that are very popular in the coastal area of the Veneto region. Shrimp Scampi Pasta is basically an Italian American recipe that makes pasta with shrimp, the way we Italians eat pasta with scampi or langoustines.

I prefer to use simple and fresh ingredients and certainly I don’t add cream or parmesan. I’m a purist on this topic and I think seafood definitely doesn’t need parmesan or cream, just garlic, lemon and white wine. This is a simple and elegant dish that you can make in 30 minutes or less, and it tastes heavenly.

Why you will love this recipe

– It’s a dish that will make you feel like you are in a small cute Italian coastal town, enjoying a delicious dish while you will breathe the salty sea breeze.

– Pasta shrimp scampi is a crowd pleaser and all your family will be excited to seat at the table and share this delicious buttery, lemony, garlicky sauce.

– If you have guests, this recipe will save you: easy, quick and elegant.

– Want to do it like the Italians: take some crusty bread and dip it in the sauce at the end: we call it Scarpetta!

– It’s a balanced meal, with a good equilibrium of fat, carbohydrates and protein.

Shrimp Scampi Pasta Ingredients

The ingredients for this pasta are simple:

Pasta: I recommend using a long pasta shape as it holds the sauce better. Linguine is my favorite, but spaghetti, angel hair or homemade fettuccine would also be a great pairing.

Butter and EVOO: The butter makes the sauce creamier and the EVOO keeps the butter from burning.

Shrimp: Buy medium or large shrimp, they are the perfect size for such a delicious dish. It’s better to buy wild caught quality, they are meatier, tastier, with a better color and definitely more healthy for you than farm raised ones.

Parsley: I love adding herbs as they always add a touch of freshness.

White wine: I recommend using a good dry white wine. And you can always have a glass while you cook.

Garlic and onions: to add some flavor to the base. Garlic is used with fish in many Italian dishes and the shallot creates a nice flavor and texture when melted with the butter and EVOO.

What about cream and Parmesan? This is a NO GO for me, I think the taste of this dish stands in savoring the juicy prawns, the pasta, coated in a sauce where the EVOO add silkiness, the butter add creaminess, the lemon bring some freshness along with the parsley, and the wine add that acidity that complete the whole dish.

How to prepare shrimp scampi pasta

Start by bringing a pot of water to a boil. In the meantime, gather all the ingredients. It is important that you have the oil, butter, garlic, shallots, shrimp, lemon, wine and parsley ready on the stove. This recipe cooks quickly and you don’t want to overcook the shrimp or they will become rubbery. When the water is boiling, add 2 tablespoons of salt and then add the pasta. The pasta will take 10 minutes to cook, in that time make the sauce!
Add 2 tablespoons of EVOO and 2 tablespoons of butter to a frying pan. Once the butter is melted, add the garlic cloves and sliced shallots and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Then add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 1-2 minutes on one side (until just starting to turn pink), then flip and cook on the other side.
Pour in the wine and reduce until reduced by half.
The pasta should be ready by now. Add them to the pot, stir in the remaining butter, lemon juice, and parsley, and immediately remove from the heat.
Your dish is ready. Serve it with some lemon slices and MANGIA!

A note on variations and substitutions

You can substitute the white wine with chicken stock or fish stock if you don’t drink wine.

You can serve this pasta over zucchini noodles if you are on a low-carb diet.

A nice variation on this recipe would be:

– Add some chili flakes if you love spicy food.

– If you want to make it a more complete meal: some zucchini, broccoli or cherry tomatoes would go perfectly with the shrimp scampi pasta.

Other seafood and shrimp recipes you might like

Easy and quick Spaghetti with clams

Sicilian Style Tuna (Tonno Agghiotta)

Pasta with Sardines

Pesto Salad with Shrimp and Farro

Serving Suggestions

This recipe is ideal as a main dish, followed by a green salad or some roasted asparagus. This dish is also delicious without pasta, served as an appetizer with some focaccia.

Leave a few tails of your shrimp on. It adds an elegant touch to your plate to have just a few shrimp with tails, and it makes it less messy to eat!

Which wine to pair with Shrimp Scampi

I recommend a medium weight white wine that can bring some freshness to the palate. A Pinot Grigio from the Trentino region, brings some minerality and goes well with this dish with its citrus notes.

Another wine that highlights fruity notes of apple, peach and citrus is Vernaccia di San Gimignano from the Tuscany region. It goes well with fish and seafood.