Easy and Delicious Shrimp Scampi Pasta Recipe

If you love seafood and pasta, then shrimp scampi pasta is the perfect dish for you! This quick and easy recipe is perfect for those days when you don’t have much time to spend in the kitchen but still want a delicious meal. In this article, we will teach you how to make shrimp scampi pasta that is both flavorful and satisfying.

To start, you’ll need jumbo shrimp, garlic, lemon, butter, olive oil, and linguine pasta. This dish has a light, buttery flavor and a touch of lemon that perfectly complements the succulent shrimp. The key to making a great shrimp scampi pasta is to have all of your ingredients prepared and ready to go before you start cooking. With this recipe, you can have a delicious and impressive meal on the table in less than 30 minutes!

Making Shrimp Scampi Pasta: A Step-by-Step Guide

Oh, the delicious combination of succulent shrimp, buttery garlic, and al dente pasta. Shrimp scampi is one of those classic pasta dishes that always hits the spot. Fortunately, it’s also a relatively easy dish to make at home. With a few simple ingredients and some basic cooking skills, you can whip up a plate of shrimp scampi pasta that rivals any restaurant dish.

Here’s our step-by-step guide to making the perfect shrimp scampi pasta.

Step 1: Gather your ingredients

For this recipe, you’ll need:
– 1 pound of spaghetti or linguine
– 1 pound of raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
– 4 cloves of garlic, minced
– 1/2 cup of dry white wine (such as Pinot Grigio)
– 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
– 1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley
– 1/4 cup of unsalted butter
– 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
– Salt and pepper to taste

Step 2: Prep your ingredients

Get everything ready before you start cooking. Mince the garlic, chop the parsley, and measure out the butter, lemon juice, and wine. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and have them ready to go.

Step 3: Cook the pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

Step 4: Cook the shrimp

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and sauté until pink and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the shrimp from the skillet and set aside.

Step 5: Sauté the garlic

Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic to the skillet. Cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant.

Step 6: Add the wine and lemon juice

Increase the heat to high and add the white wine and lemon juice to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about 3 minutes, until slightly reduced.

Step 7: Add the butter

Reduce the heat to low and add the butter to the skillet. Stir until the butter is melted and the sauce is smooth.

Step 8: Add the pasta and shrimp

Add the cooked pasta and reserved pasta water to the skillet and toss to coat with the sauce. Add the cooked shrimp and parsley and toss again.

Step 9: Serve and enjoy!

Divide the shrimp scampi pasta between four plates and serve immediately. This dish is best enjoyed with a glass of the remaining white wine.

Tips for Making the Perfect Shrimp Scampi Pasta

– Use high-quality ingredients, especially the shrimp. Fresh, wild-caught shrimp will make a huge difference in the flavor of this dish.
– Don’t overcook the shrimp. They cook quickly and can become tough and chewy if cooked for too long.
– Reserve some of the pasta water to use in the sauce. The starch in the water helps to thicken the sauce and make it cling to the pasta better.
– Use a large skillet to cook the shrimp and sauce. You want plenty of room for everything to cook evenly.
– Don’t be afraid to adjust the seasoning to your taste. Add more garlic, lemon juice, or salt and pepper as needed.

Ingredients and Kitchen Tools You’ll Need

Before we dive into the steps to make shrimp scampi pasta, let’s first run through all the ingredients and kitchen tools you’ll need. Here’s a quick checklist to help you prepare:

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of spaghetti or linguine pasta
• 1 pound of fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup of dry white wine or chicken broth
• 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Kitchen Tools:

• A large pot or Dutch oven for cooking pasta
• A saucepan or skillet for the shrimp scampi
• A large skillet for cooking the shrimp
• A colander for draining pasta
• A sharp knife for mincing garlic and chopping parsley
• A lemon squeezer (optional)
• A grater for the Parmesan cheese

Picking the Right Pasta:

Although you can use any type of pasta you prefer, spaghetti and linguine are the classic choices for shrimp scampi pasta. They’re both long, thin and tend to pair well with seafood sauces. Whichever you choose, be sure to follow the package instructions for cooking time and don’t forget to salt the water before you add the pasta.

Choosing Your Shrimp:

When selecting your shrimp, it’s best to opt for fresh rather than frozen. Fresh shrimp have a sweet, delicate flavour and a tender texture that’s hard to beat. Look for shrimp that’s pink and firm without any grey or black spots. If you don’t want to peel and devein your shrimp yourself, you can ask your fishmonger to do it for you.

Wine or Chicken Broth?

Traditionally, shrimp scampi pasta would be made with a dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. If you prefer not to use alcohol, you can substitute it for chicken broth instead. Both options give the dish a slightly different flavour, but they’re equally delicious. If you do decide to use wine, be sure to cook it off for a few minutes to burn off the alcohol before adding the other ingredients.

Red Pepper Flakes are Optional:

Red pepper flakes add a little bit of heat to the dish, but they’re not a must-have ingredient. If you don’t like spice, feel free to leave them out.

Fresh Parsley is Key:

Fresh chopped parsley is essential to finishing off the dish and giving it a vibrant pop of colour. It also adds a bright, fresh flavour that complements the lemon in the sauce. If you don’t have fresh parsley on hand, you can substitute it with another herb, such as basil or cilantro.

Grate Your Own Parmesan Cheese:

For the best flavour, it’s always best to grate your own Parmesan cheese rather than using pre-grated cheese. Pre-grated cheese often contains additives that prevent it from clumping together, which can affect the flavour and texture. Grating your own cheese is easy, and it only takes a few extra minutes.

Prepare Your Ingredients Before You Start Cooking:

Before you start cooking, it’s essential to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go. This means peeling and deveining your shrimp, mincing your garlic, chopping your parsley, grating your Parmesan cheese, and squeezing your lemon juice. Having everything ready will make the cooking process much smoother and stress-free.

Ingredients

When it comes to making shrimp scampi pasta, the ingredients play a crucial role in creating the perfect dish. Here are the key ingredients you’ll need:

Preparing the Shrimp

The key to making delicious shrimp scampi pasta is to properly prepare the shrimp. Start by peeling and deveining the shrimp. Then, rinse them with cold water and pat them dry with a paper towel.

Cooking the Shrimp

Next, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Once the butter is melted and the oil is hot, add the shrimp to the skillet. Cook the shrimp for about 2-3 minutes per side or until they turn pink and slightly browned.

Adding the Flavors

To add a burst of flavor to the shrimp, add minced garlic and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Cook for another minute or until the garlic is fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic as this will cause a bitter taste.

Cooking the Pasta

While the shrimp is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine pasta and cook for about 8-10 minutes or until al dente. Be sure to reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining.

Creating the Sauce

In the same skillet that you cooked the shrimp in, reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining butter and white wine. Let the butter melt and the wine reduce for a few minutes. Then, add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss to combine.

Final Touches

To finish the dish, add the lemon juice and zest, chopped parsley, and some of the reserved pasta water to the skillet. Toss everything together to create a creamy sauce that coats the pasta and shrimp. Add salt to taste, and you’re good to go! Serve the shrimp scampi pasta hot and enjoy.

Time to Dig in!

There you have it, folks! A simple and delicious recipe for shrimp scampi pasta that will definitely be a hit with your family and friends. Whether you’re preparing it for a cozy dinner date or a casual get-together with your friends, this dish is bound to impress. Thanks for stopping by and reading our article! We hope you enjoyed it and learned something new. Don’t forget to visit again for more mouthwatering recipes that will add some new flavor to your kitchen! Have a great day and happy cooking!