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Shrimp Scampi - Shrimp Scampi Pasta (Photo by Erich Boenzli)
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5 from 2 votes

Shrimp Scampi with Garlic and Lemon

This simple recipe for shrimp scampi with garlic and lemon is absolutely delicious and satisfying. This dish will be on your table in less than 30 minutes flat. 
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: shrimp scampi
Servings: 2
Calories: 1050kcal
Author: Erich Boenzli

Ingredients

  • ¾ pound (12 ounces) raw shrimp, cleaned and deveined
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon kosher sea salt (more as needed)
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon hot pepper flakes
  • 1 shallot (or small onion), finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • ⅓ cup white wine
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1-½ cups chicken/seafood stock (more as needed)
  • 12 ounces your favorite pasta
  • 2 tablespoons chopped chives (or Italian flat leaf parsley)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (maybe...taste first before possibly adding more lemon juice)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Clean and pat dry shrimp
  • Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil (keep remaining 2 tablespoon for later), salt, pepper, lemon zest, and hot pepper flakes
  • Mix and marinate no longer than 30 minutes. If you marinate for more than 20 minutes, you’ll start making ceviche (another delicious way to prepare shrimp, but that’s not our goal here) 😃
  • Grab a pan and heat the remaining 2 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat
  • Add shallots and cook for about 2 minutes
  • Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes
  • Add white wine and cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes
  • Add butter and marinated shrimp
  • Cook shrimp just until they’re pink on the outside...just a couple minutes.
  • Add chicken stock (or a mixture of chicken and seafood stock)
  • Add pasta and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low boil and put the lid on.
  • Once the pasta is al dente, serve and sprinkle with some chopped chives (or Italian flat leaf parsley)
  • Add lemon juice - only if needed. Taste first.

Notes

  • Tip for making the sauce: Stir at least once per minute and keep an eye on the liquid level. Depending on the type of pasta and/or how hard you’re boiling it, you might have to add more liquid (water or stock). While you’re stirring once per minute anyway, you might as well taste every time. Add a little more salt if needed. That’s probably my favorite part of this recipe...7 minutes of stir, taste, stir, taste, stir, taste. A mantra that works well with most recipes. 
 
  • Serving: Once the pasta is al dente, serve, sprinkle with some chopped chives (or Italian flat leaf parsley) and add lemon juice - if needed. Taste first. I’ve come across a lot of recipes that simply state “add lemon juice” before recommending to taste it again. I don’t know how garlicky or lemony you like your dish. That’s why you taste it first before possibly adding more lemon juice.
 
  • Wine pairing: Just before I finished making this shrimp with pasta the other night, our neighbor stopped by, offering us a small baguette, still warm from the oven. And I had a delicious bottle of Auspicion Sauvignon blanc in the fridge. All was good in the ville that evening.
 
  • Variations
    • Add some halved grape tomatoes when serving 
    • Add a bag of baby spinach when adding the stock to “green it up”
 
 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 1050kcal | Carbohydrates: 137g | Protein: 59g | Fat: 26g | Sodium: 909mg | Potassium: 1045mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 311IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 195mg