Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi with Linguine
Shrimp scampi made with garlic butter, dry white wine, and fresh lemon tossed with linguine. A restaurant-style seafood dinner ready in 30 minutes.
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Shrimp scampi is the dinner I reach for when the day got away from me and I still want something that tastes like a real meal. Big shrimp go into a pan of garlic butter, a splash of white wine cooks down into a glossy sauce, and a hard squeeze of lemon at the end wakes the whole thing up. Tossed with linguine, it’s on the table in 30 minutes.
The part most people rush is the garlic. Sliced garlic dropped into butter over medium heat turns sweet and mellow in about a minute, and it goes bitter the second it starts to brown. Keep the heat moderate and pull the pan off if the edges begin to color. The other move that matters is swirling the last of the butter in off the heat, which thickens the sauce into something silky instead of leaving a puddle of oil in the bottom of the bowl.
I buy 21-25 count shrimp already peeled and deveined, frozen, and thaw them under cool running water while the pasta water heats. That one shortcut takes the fussiest ten minutes out of the recipe. Save a cup of the pasta water too. A splash of that starchy water pulls the butter and lemon together so the sauce actually clings to the noodles.
Why You’ll Love This Shrimp Scampi Recipe
- A four-ingredient sauce with real depth. Butter, garlic, white wine, and lemon build a sauce that tastes far more expensive than it is.
- On the table in 30 minutes. The shrimp take about 3 minutes total, and the pasta cooks while you prep everything else.
- Shrimp that stay tender. Searing them fast and pulling them out before the sauce reduces keeps every piece snappy instead of rubbery.
- Company food on a weeknight budget. It looks like something you’d order out, and it comes together in one skillet plus a pasta pot.
Shrimp Scampi Ingredients
Buy the biggest shrimp your budget allows, somewhere in the 21-25 count range. Small shrimp overcook in the time it takes the pan to come back up to heat, and there’s very little margin between perfect and rubbery.
- 12 oz linguine
- 1 1/2 lbs jumbo shrimp (21-25 count), peeled and deveined
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 3/4 cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan, for serving
Recipe Variations
- Swap the white wine for an equal amount of chicken broth plus an extra teaspoon of lemon juice if you’d rather cook without alcohol.
- Skip the pasta and serve the shrimp and sauce over creamy polenta or spoon it straight from the skillet with the parmesan on top.
- Add a big handful of halved cherry tomatoes to the pan with the garlic for a little sweetness and color.
How to Make Shrimp Scampi
- Cook the linguine: Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the linguine according to the package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
- Season the shrimp: While the water heats, pat the shrimp very dry with paper towels and season them with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and all of the black pepper. Dry shrimp sear; wet shrimp steam.
- Sear the shrimp: Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook for about 2 minutes per side, just until they turn pink and opaque and curl into a loose C shape. Transfer them to a plate.
- Bloom the garlic: Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant and barely golden. Don’t let the garlic brown.
- Reduce the wine: Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, until the wine has reduced by about half.
- Finish the sauce off the heat: Take the skillet off the burner and swirl in the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter one piece at a time until the sauce looks glossy. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Toss everything together: Add the drained linguine, the shrimp with any juices from the plate, and the parsley. Toss until every strand is coated, adding the reserved pasta water a splash at a time if the sauce looks tight.
- Serve: Divide among bowls, finish with the grated parmesan, and pass lemon wedges at the table for anyone who wants it brighter.
Recipe FAQs
Can I Make Shrimp Scampi without Wine?
Yes. Use 3/4 cup chicken broth in its place and add an extra teaspoon of lemon juice at the end to bring back the brightness the wine was providing.
How Do I Know When the Shrimp Are Done?
Go by look, not a thermometer. Cooked shrimp turn pink and opaque all the way through and curl into a loose C. A tight O means they’ve gone too far and will be chewy.
Can I Use Frozen Shrimp?
Absolutely, and most shrimp at the seafood counter were frozen anyway. Thaw them in a colander under cool running water for about 5 minutes, then pat them completely dry.
Why Did My Sauce Separate into Butter and Liquid?
The pan was too hot when the butter went in. Pull the skillet off the burner first and add the butter a piece at a time, swirling, so it emulsifies into the wine instead of just melting.
What Pasta Works Best, and Can I Double the Recipe?
Linguine is traditional because the flat strands hold the thin sauce well, and angel hair or spaghetti both work. To double it, sear the shrimp in two batches so they brown instead of steam.
Cooking Tips
- Slice the garlic instead of mincing it. Thin slices cook more evenly in butter and are much less likely to scorch than tiny minced bits.
- Have everything measured and next to the stove before you start. Once the shrimp hit the pan the whole dish moves in under 10 minutes.
- Zest the lemon before you juice it. Zesting a squeezed lemon half is a small misery you only need to experience once.
Storage and Freezing
To store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Seafood doesn’t hold as long as most leftovers.
To freeze: Freezing isn’t recommended. The shrimp turn rubbery once thawed and the butter sauce separates.
To reheat: Warm gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water or broth, stirring just until heated through. Long reheating overcooks the shrimp a second time.
How to Serve Shrimp Scampi
Shrimp scampi is rich enough that it only needs something green alongside. A crisp romaine salad with a lemon vinaigrette or a pan of roasted asparagus rounds it out without competing with the garlic butter. This is one of the recipes in our August seafood and weeknight dinner collection, and more fast skillet dinners like it are on the way.
Loved This Recipe?
Shrimp scampi proves that four good ingredients and a hot pan beat a dinner reservation on a Tuesday night.
Leave a star rating in the comments below, it helps other people find this recipe. Made it? Tag @allwellfed on Instagram, I love seeing this one in other people’s kitchens.
Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi with Linguine
Ingredients
- 12 oz linguine
- 1 1/2 lbs jumbo shrimp 21-25 count, peeled and deveined
- 1 tsp salt divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil divided
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter divided
- 6 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 3/4 cup dry white wine such as pinot grigio
- 1 tbsp lemon zest from 1 large lemon
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice plus wedges for serving
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Cook the linguine: Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the linguine according to the package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
- Season the shrimp: While the water heats, pat the shrimp very dry with paper towels and season them with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and all of the black pepper. Dry shrimp sear; wet shrimp steam.
- Sear the shrimp: Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook for about 2 minutes per side, just until they turn pink and opaque and curl into a loose C shape. Transfer them to a plate.
- Bloom the garlic: Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant and barely golden. Don’t let the garlic brown.
- Reduce the wine: Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, until the wine has reduced by about half.
- Finish the sauce off the heat: Take the skillet off the burner and swirl in the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter one piece at a time until the sauce looks glossy. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Toss everything together: Add the drained linguine, the shrimp with any juices from the plate, and the parsley. Toss until every strand is coated, adding the reserved pasta water a splash at a time if the sauce looks tight.
- Serve: Divide among bowls, finish with the grated parmesan, and pass lemon wedges at the table for anyone who wants it brighter.
