Here’s a classic, restaurant-style Shrimp Scampi — buttery, garlicky, and ready in about 20 minutes.
🍤 Shrimp Scampi (Garlic Butter Shrimp)
📝 Ingredients
- 1 lb large shrimp (peeled & deveined)
- 8 oz linguine or spaghetti (optional, for serving)
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- ½ cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Zest of ½ lemon (optional but recommended)
- ¼ cup fresh parsley (chopped)
- Salt & black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan (optional)
👩🍳 Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain.
- Pat shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add garlic and red pepper flakes; sauté 30 seconds (don’t brown).
- Add shrimp in a single layer. Cook 1–2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Remove shrimp temporarily if needed to avoid overcooking.
- Pour in wine (or broth) and simmer 2–3 minutes until slightly reduced.
- Stir in lemon juice and zest.
- Return shrimp to pan and toss.
- Add cooked pasta and a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to loosen sauce.
- Finish with parsley and Parmesan.
💡 Tips
- Use large or jumbo shrimp for best texture.
- Don’t overcook — shrimp become rubbery fast.
- Serve with crusty bread if skipping pasta.
If you’d like, I can also give you a creamy scampi version, a baked scampi, or a low-carb option.