Classic Shrimp Scampi Recipe (2024)

By Melissa Clark

Classic Shrimp Scampi Recipe (1)

Total Time
15 minutes
Rating
5(13,420)
Notes
Read community notes

Scampi are tiny, lobster-like crustaceans with pale pink shells (also called langoustines). Italian cooks in the United States swapped shrimp for scampi, but kept both names. Thus the dish was born, along with inevitable variations.

This classic recipe makes a simple garlic, white wine and butter sauce that goes well with a pile of pasta or with a hunk of crusty bread. However you make the dish, 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. (Watch the video of Melissa Clark making classic shrimp scampi here.)

Featured in: A GOOD APPETITE; Shrimp Scampi, A Classic Open to Interpretation

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 2tablespoons butter
  • 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4garlic cloves, minced
  • ½cup dry white wine or broth
  • ¾teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
  • teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • pounds large or extra-large shrimp, shelled
  • cup chopped parsley
  • Freshly squeezed juice of half a lemon
  • Cooked pasta or crusty bread

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

314 calories; 14 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 40 grams protein; 595 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Classic Shrimp Scampi Recipe (2)

Preparation

Make the recipe with us

  1. In a large skillet, melt butter with olive oil. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine or broth, salt, red pepper flakes and plenty of black pepper and bring to a simmer. Let wine reduce by half, about 2 minutes.

  2. Step

    2

    Add shrimp and sauté until they just turn pink, 2 to 4 minutes depending upon their size. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice and serve over pasta or accompanied by crusty bread.

Ratings

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13,420

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

frazeej

Perfect, except.......USE THE SHELLS!!! The shrimp shells are wonderful flavor enhancers and should not be discarded-simmer the shells in the wine (add some extra wine) for ~10 minutes, strain and then discard the shells, and use the enriched wine in the recipe. Double the flavor!

JimF from Sewell

Alfredo

A lot of the "too little sauce" comments I see seem to reflect a missing step in the recipe: you'll notice the sauce doesn't really stick to the pasta so it feels like you have too little sauce.

You'll want to add half a cup of the cooked pasta water to the pan after adding the wine. The starch in the pasta water thickens the sauce a tiny bit and permits it to cling to the pasta. If you do this, you'll want to add 1-2 more tbsp of butter (or olive oil)

David

This is a terrific recipe. If you double the wine you have plenty of sauce. But less to drink.

SB

USE THE SHELLS!!! The shrimp shells are wonderful flavor enhancers and should not be discarded-simmer the shells in the wine (add some extra wine) for ~10 minutes, strain and then discard the shells, and use the enriched wine in the recipe. Double the flavor!

JLB

simmer the shells in the wine (add some extra wine) for ~10 minutes, strain and then discard the shells, and use the enriched wine in the recipe.
add half a cup of the cooked pasta water to the pan after adding the wine. The starch in the pasta water thickens the sauce a tiny bit and permits it to cling to the pasta. If you do this, you'll want to add 1-2 more tbsp of butter (or olive oil)

Roy Chevallier

This is a great recipe. However, cannot over emphasize the importance of the shrimp shell and wine stock. It makes the dish.

Janet

Make a quick shrimp stock which REALLY ups the shrimp flavor. Just sauté some shallot, add the shrimp shells and give them a quick turn, add some water/wine and herbs if you'd like, bring to a boil and simmer to taste. Very quick, very simple and makes a huge difference in the flavor. Also use wild gulf shrimp -- even frozen ones will give you the best flavor.

David Bonfiglio

I've tried plenty of Scampi recipes more complex than this, but none as good. This is the quintessence of minimalist Italian cooking. I like it with rice instead of pasta, add some saffron if you want, or better yet, just bread, and some extra butter.

Melanie

I just made this! Because everyone said there wasn't enough sauce, I made a few adjustments. I used 3/4 a cup of wine and let it simmer an extra minute. I also used the juice of a whole lemon and the zest of it. when it was done, I added my pasta to the pan of sauce, in addition to two-three spoonfuls of the pasta water to help thicken it. it was perfect!!!

Antony

Put shells in sauce pan with half cup of white wine, simmered while prepping the rest. Strained liquid and added to Skillet for more sauce. Used fresh hot pepper instead of flakes.

Nik

Followed suggestions to simmer shells in wine, and definitely agree that it's worth the hassle of cleaning your own shrimp. Used about 2 cups of wine for 1 lb of shrimps along with some water. The sauce had so much flavor! Everyone wanted more!

Carol in Maine

So very good.
To those who didn't have enough sauce for pasta, we increased all of the sauce ingredients by about half as the pasta does soak it up quite a bit.

Roni Jordan

Made for dinner tonight- 1 lb shrimp over 8 oz linguini for 2 of us. Added shallots and used lobster stock in lieu of wine (Better than Bouillion). Kept all else the same so we had enough to sauce the pasta. Will repeat. Husband said best scampi since we dined at Sal's in P'towne.

Linda H

Use American wild caught shrimp--better flavor and no queasy thoughts about how the shrimp were raised and processed.

Regina

Nice, quick recipe. Only problem is that there is very little sauce. I think next time I would use some clam juice in the butter, oil, wine, mixture so that there would be more sauce.

UpstartWyn

This is a wonderful recipe that I return to over and over. I usually alter recipes in some way, but this one I cook as is.

Paul

We've made this dish a couple of times and it's really good. Our only changes are some diced cherry tomatoes and oregano.

Sue

This is a perfect recipe. I made it yesterday, and it was easy and delicious!! The only thing I did differently was pull out the cooked shrimp, add about half cup of parmesan to the sauce, then pour over the shrimp to serve. So good!

Ruth

Delicious!! Quick and easy. Will definitely make again.

Lee

Great recipe, however, I would double the sauce with the same amount of shrimp. I only cooked one pound of shrimp and the sauce was a little skimpy!

pfw

I used a whole lemon and 3/4 cup wine and added capers and halved cherry tomatoes. I also finished cooking the pasta in the pan with the shrimp and sauce. D E L I C I O U S !!!

Robinotl

I made this exactly as written. Came out excellent. I was making just for me, so cut the shrimp to 12 shrimp (21-25 count) and kept the amounts for the sauce the same as the recipe (hence, doubling the sauce per several commenters suggestion). This was enough for 2 how I made it and it was hard to stop eating it. Very good. One of my favorite NY Times recipes.

Stacey

Followed the recipe and it turned out perfectly. Definitely a keeper recipe that I plan to use often in the future.

Maeve

Lovely dish. We made with white wine and served with sliced mushrooms and broccolini over gemelli. Just wonderful! We will definitely make again.

Alex

Another 5 star rating. This recipe is more than the sum of its parts. I threw in a large portion of mushrooms that complemented the shrimp very well.

Lane

Used scallops BC that's what I had. Served over spaghetti. Yum!

Linda

Excellent recipe. Everyone loved it.

Janet

Super rarest and don’t need to worry about measuring anything. I skipped the olive oil. Very filling with a slice of toasted cheese bread.

Dolores Ortiz

To make it just a little better we added broccoli

CD

So so so so good. This was brilliant. I used Trader Joe's wild caught Argentinian shrimp, quick thawed under running water, left-over Pinot Grigio - delicious with warm, crusty French bread.

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Classic Shrimp Scampi Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the sauce of shrimp scampi made of? ›

Scampi sauce.

In this garlic shrimp scampi, the sauce is made with a bit of butter, olive oil, white wine, garlic, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice.

How do you thicken scampi sauce? ›

Add Cornstarch or Flour: Mix a slurry of cornstarch or flour with water or broth until smooth, then gradually stir it into the sauce while simmering until desired thickness is reached. Be sure to cook the sauce for a few minutes after adding the slurry to remove any raw taste of the starch.

What's the difference between scampi and shrimp scampi? ›

Scampi are tiny, lobster-like crustaceans with pale pink shells (also called langoustines). Italian cooks in the United States swapped shrimp for scampi, but kept both names.

Why is my shrimp scampi dry? ›

Your shrimp scampi is probably dry because the shrimp cooked too long and dried out. Shrimp go from raw to overcooked fast. Watch the shrimp as they cook, they only need about two minutes.

What is traditional scampi made from? ›

As mentioned, the word scampi in Italian refers to a kind of crustacean, the Nephrops norvegicus, very similar to what in English we would call shrimp. (Ordinary shrimp are called gamberi.) The main difference is that scampi have front claws that make them look a bit like miniature lobsters.

What is creamy scampi sauce made of? ›

The Sauce
  1. Heavy cream. This thickens your sauce and adds a delicious creamy dimension to the dish.
  2. Herb Roasted Tomatoes. ...
  3. White wine. ...
  4. Organic chicken stock. ...
  5. Parmesan cheese. ...
  6. Cajun seasoning blend. ...
  7. Garlic. ...
  8. Freshly-squeezed lemon juice.
Feb 14, 2022

What is traditional scampi? ›

In most countries, especially Italy, scampi means the peeled tail of pretty much any kind of prawn but in the UK it refers to the meat of just one special prawn: the langoustine. Langoustine is a small lobster found in the colder waters of Scotland, Ireland and Norway.

What is Olive Garden scampi sauce made of? ›

What is Olive Garden Scampi Sauce Made Of? The main ingredients of this sauce are butter, onion, garlic, white wine, chicken stock, and herbs.

Why is my scampi mushy? ›

Undercook and they'll be mushy and translucent; overcook and they'll be rubbery and nearly inedible. The best way to tell when shrimp are cooked through is to look for visual cues: “Watch for the shrimp to curl and turn opaque,” says Kendra.

Should you eat shrimp scampi with the tails on or off? ›

For one, leaving the tails on will help you grip the shrimp better. It will also give your dish extra flavor and moisture and make them look larger and more visually appealing. In addition, shrimp tails are beneficial to your health.

What do Italians call scampi? ›

The word “scampi” is Italian for a type of small crustacean akin to a mini lobster. They're similar to shrimp, but scampi — also known as Dublin Bay Prawn, langoustines, or Norway Lobster — aren't typically found in oceans near the U.S.

Do Italians eat shrimp scampi? ›

They are widespread in the Mediterranean and common in Italian seafood cuisine. Not finding scampi in American markets, Italian immigrants substituted shrimp in traditional Italian recipes, like scampi in padella (scampi in a pan), eventually modifying the sauce to garlic, white wine.

What not to do when cooking shrimp? ›

  1. Mistake #1: Buying Shrimp With the Heads Still On.
  2. Mistake #2: Not Deveining Your Shrimp.
  3. Mistake #3: Thawing Improperly.
  4. Mistake #4: Overcooking.
  5. Mistake #5: Throwing Away the Shells.

What is a substitute for dry white wine in shrimp scampi? ›

Shrimp Scampi without wine

Wine can be omitted completely OR substitute with chicken broth if you wish. Chicken broth has a much better flavour than fish broth, however, if you have homemade fish broth laying around, you can definitely use that!

What is scampi sauce made of Olive Garden? ›

What is Olive Garden Scampi Sauce Made Of? The main ingredients of this sauce are butter, onion, garlic, white wine, chicken stock, and herbs.

What is original scampi? ›

The dish is said to have originated in the 14th century in the Italian city of Genoa. It was originally made with crayfish, but eventually, shrimp became the main ingredient. Some say that shrimp scampi was invented in the United States, while others claim that it originated in Italy.

What does scampi contain? ›

Scampi Ingredients: Scampi tails with added water (40%), Breadcrumbs (contains Wheatflour, Calcium Carbonate, Iran, Niacin, Thiamin), Salt, Yeast. Batter (contains: water, Wheatflour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin) Rapeseed oil, Stabilisers: Sodium Tripolyphosphate.

What does scampi sauce mean? ›

The scampi are often served in a garlic and butter sauce but are not commonly available in the U.S. In American cuisine, shrimp replaces the scampi with the word "scampi" describing the style of dish instead of the crustacean. Shrimp scampi is a seafood dish with a sauce of garlic, lemon, and butter.

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