Shrimp Scampi is flavored with a lemon (not too lemony), butter (not too rich) sauce with a little heat from red pepper flakes. Add some angel hair pasta and you have a special meal – all you need is a salad and maybe some homemade bread.
A sister was visiting for a few days and we were talking about food and what to eat and she brought up shrimp scampi. After we looked through some recipes I had collected as well as a few Italian cookbooks we decided on one from the Food Network, or more specifically, the Neelys. This is the recipe my sister wanted and it sounded delicious. We even passed on Giada’s, Buddy Valastro and Rao’s versions!
I did have all the ingredients on hand except I had spaghetti instead of angel hair pasta. For this recipe I recommend using angel hair pasta as it is thinner and more delicate and this lemony butter sauce coats it nicely. I have highlighted my changes.
You might consider my Limoncello Butter-Cream Sauce I use for shrimp crepes or salmon.
Shrimp Scampi with a Lemon Butter Sauce
Recipe slightly adapted by the Neelys/Food Network
- 1 lb. angel hair pasta (preferably nothing thicker)
- 2 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I probably added another 1/4 lb. or so)
- 4 large cloves of garlic, minced (or more)
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (just the right amount)
- 1 large lemon, juiced, plus 1/2 lemon, zested using a microplane zester
- 1/2 cup white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
- 5 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped and more to garnish
- Parmesan cheese or Pecorino Romano, grated, to garnish
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente; save a cup full of the pasta water.
Pat dry the shrimp with paper towels. Heat a 12-inch skillet until hot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and butter and once it is hot add the shrimp and saute until just cooked through, 2-3 minutes. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is fragrant, for just about 1 minute. Next add the lemon juice and white wine; raise the heat to high. Reduce the liquid for 2-3 minutes. Whisk in the butter a tablespoon at a time and a ladleful or about 1/2 cup of the hot pasta cooking water. Return the shrimp to the skillet; combine and remove from the heat.
Drain the pasta and add it to the shrimp along with some chopped fresh parsley; toss well. Add the lemon zest and season with salt and pepper if desired. I find that adding the fresh Parmesan garnish provides just the right amount of salt. Transfer to a platter, garnish with Parmesan and fresh parsley.
Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com
I haven’t had shrimp scampi in ages! Thanks for the recipe!
Me either Jeff – a great recipe and I’m glad my sister suggested it. I think you will enjoy it too!
Lemon Pasta is one of my favorite, let alone when shrimps and other goodies are added. Lovely recipe! 🙂
Thanks Ronit – the recipe was well balanced with just the right amount of lemon. It was fun to cook with someone else!
Wow! I love this recipe!
Thanks – so did we. Shrimp dishes are always a favorite and this recipe is light with a nice sauce. Hope you have a chance to make it.
Judi, one of my favorite dishes and one you and your sis honored well. Having been raised in theTexas bayou country and stones through for Louisiana, we always had shrimp about. My granny would make a very similar dish, but she called it “spicy buttered shrimp with spaghetti”. I wasn’t until I was grown and went to a proper restaurant that I learned it was Shrimp Scampi. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Ron – it was fun to discuss the pros and cons of all the recipes we looked at. My mom was just a simple but good cook. She could make the best roasts with gravy but this kind of a dish we never saw. Maybe that is why I have always wanted to try different recipes and learn new recipes from so many cuisines.
This looks just beautiful. I could eat a big plateful of this:-). I do love prawns – sorry aussies don’t say shrimp! Cheers sherry
Thanks – when I think of “prawns” I think of the heads still on 🙂 That’s how they serve a lot of dishes down in the south.
Judi, I have not had shrimp scampi in such a long time! After reading your post, I want to make it too. I love shrimp and the garlicky lemony sauce, both.
I like your addition of butter to the olive oil when sauteeing. I do that too- adds a yummy flavor , doesn’t it?
Yes, two sisters/cooks came up with a good recipe that we both enjoyed.