Description
A sophisticated yet easy-to-make shrimp scampi with lemon butter sauce that tastes like high-end Italian restaurant food. Ready in just 20 minutes with minimal cleanup.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 lbs large shrimp, raw, peeled, and deveined
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6–8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio)
- 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- Juice of 1 large lemon
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 pound linguine or spaghetti
- Salt for pasta water
Instructions
- Pat shrimp completely dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear shrimp in a single layer for 1-2 minutes per side until pink. Remove shrimp and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, sautéing for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up brown bits. Simmer for 1 minute to cook off alcohol.
- Add chicken broth and lemon juice, simmering for another minute until slightly reduced.
- Reduce heat to low. Stir in heavy cream and lemon zest. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Add drained pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water if needed to emulsify.
- Return shrimp to the pan, toss gently to warm through, and garnish with parsley and extra lemon zest. Serve immediately.
Notes
Do not overcook shrimp; they should curl into a ‘C’ shape. Save pasta water to help emulsify the sauce. Zest lemon before juicing. This dish does not freeze well due to the dairy content.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 9
- Carbohydrates: 55
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 28
Keywords: shrimp scampi, lemon butter pasta, restaurant style shrimp, easy dinner party recipe, Italian-American, weeknight dinner, garlic shrimp, pasta recipes