Shrimp scampi pasta is one of our favorite dinners and I was always so intimidated by it. But once I made it, it was SO easy. And only took 30 minutes from start to finish! This dish is also totally impressive, amiright? Throwing (not literally) pasta and shrimp together and serving it with wine means you’ll have everyone falling in love with you. The linguine noodles swim in the most incredible buttery/garlicky/lemony homemade Alfredo sauce that’s flecked with parsley and red pepper chili flakes for a pop of color and flavor. I mean how could you resist? So tempting.
What is shrimp scampi?
Aside from it being my grandmother’s favorite meal, shrimp scampi is pretty simple. The classic recipe includes: garlic, white wine and a butter sauce that is either accompanied with a pile of pasta or with a hunk of crusty bread. I’ve taken a few liberties with this shrimp scampi pasta, but something tells me you won’t mind my switching things up a bit!
Shrimp scampi ingredients
You don’t need many ingredients to make this flavorful white wine garlic shrimp pasta. Here’s what you’ll need to make shrimp scampi pasta:
NoodlesOlive oilButterShallotGarlicSalt and pepperRed pepper flakesLemon juiceWhite wineShrimpStore-bought alfredo sauceFresh parsley Parmesan cheese
How to make shrimp scampi pasta
The full directions are listed below in the recipe card, but making the shrimp Alfredo pasta and shrimp scampi sauce is easy peasy. If you are making this dish with pasta, you’ll want to get the water boiling first. Then, in a separate sauté pan, melt the better with some olive oil and shallots. Then, everything else for the sauce will come together (in this ONE pan!). You’ll add the shrimp to the sauce towards the end, toss in your noodles and garnish with parsley and Parmesan cheese. Nothing fancy about shrimp scampi pasta!
What’s the best pasta for shrimp scampi?
Linguine or angel hair are my favorites for this simple shrimp scampi pasta. You can also keep this meal low-carb and serve it with zucchini noodles or steamed cauliflower.
What’s the best wine for shrimp scampi?
Use a dry white wine. A cheap Sauvignon Blank or Chardonnay works well.
Is there a white wine substitute I can use?
If you don’t have white wine on hand or prefer not to use it, you’re welcome to use chicken broth or water in its place.
Tips for making shrimp scampi:
Save some time and buy shrimp that is frozen (already cooked) and that has already been peeled with the tails off. Some people think leaving the tails on results in a prettier dish, but taking the tails off while eating can be such a hassle!Once the shrimp are added to the pan, the trick is to cook them just long enough that they turn pink all over, but not until their bodies curl into rounds with the texture of tires (yuck!).A swirl of this pasta and juicy shrimp is everything you want from shrimp scampi pasta — a buttery, lemony Alfredo sauce coats linguine and shrimp, and the bright bite of red pepper and parsley balances everything.Let me know what you think of the recipe by dropping a comment below!
