Swimming in a garlicky white wine sauce, this Easy Shrimp Scampi Recipe is on the table in just 15 minutes!
A super quick meal that seems like a “fancy dinner”. Shrimp Scampi is quick enough for a weeknight but elegant enough to serve to guests. You’ll be amazed at how incredibly easy this dish is to make at home!
I love shrimp pasta with hunks of crusty bread (or dinner rolls) for cleaning the plate and this version is extra fast and easy!
What is Shrimp Scampi?
Creamy Shrimp Scampi is a dish made with shrimp (or prawns) in a scampi sauce.
A scampi sauce is a garlic butter and wine sauce, so very simple to make. This dish can be served over pasta or even served on its own as a first course for a dinner party.
A lot of Shrimp Scampi recipes call for parmesan cheese but I left it out of this recipe because it’s not truly “authentic.” I like to have it at the table for family and friends to add if they wish.
How To Make Shrimp Scampi
The entire recipe (sauce AND shrimp) can be made in about the same time it takes to boil your pasta! You’ll need just a few simple ingredients….shrimp (obviously), garlic, crushed red pepper (you can skip this if you’re sensitive to spice), butter, olive oil, white wine (also can be subbed with chicken stock), salt, pepper, parsley.
- COOK SHRIMP – Cook garlic & butter until fragrant. Add shrimp and cook a couple of minutes. Set aside.
- ADD WINE – Pour in some wine and reduce for a few minutes.
- TOSS WITH SHRIMP – Add shrimp back to the pan and toss to heat through. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
No Wine? No Problem!
If you’re out of wine (or prefer not to use it) you can still enjoy shrimp scampi! Simply replace the white wine with chicken stock or broth. This will change the flavor slightly but it will still be delicious.
Wine for Shrimp Scampi
Your best bet is a crisp dry white wine that you’ll enjoy drinking with your amazing meal! You may enjoy any of the following:
- Pinot Grigio
- Viognier
- dry Riesling
- Sauvignon Blanc
Add a little to the dish and a little to your glass! Cheers!
Quick Tips
- Buy peeled and deveined shrimp.
- The shrimp look pretty with the tails on so they’re great that way if serving as an appetizer but if serving over pasta, I prefer shrimp without tails.
- The ingredients (including the garlic) can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance so the dish literally takes minutes to put together.
- If serving as an appetizer include crusty bread or crostini for sopping up the scampi sauce.
Shrimp Favorites
- Bang Bang Shrimp
- Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil – Fun for a crowd and easy to make!
- Shrimp Stir Fry with Zucchini Noodles
- Skillet Shrimp Fajitas – Fresh flavors!
- Easy Shrimp Ceviche Recipe
- Easy Shrimp Alfredo
We love this easy Shrimp Scampi recipe so much it’s on regular rotation here during the school year. And the best part? There’s very little cleanup since it’s cooked in just one pot. If you want to skip the pasta (and the bread….but WHY?), you can serve it with a fresh green salad.
Some other shrimp recipes we LOVE that come together just as quickly is this super EASY Shrimp and Grits….or THIS simple Skillet Paella with Shrimp and Chorizo!
Easy Shrimp Scampi Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the butter and olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat.
- Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the shrimp to the pan and toss to coat. Cook the shrimp until bright pink and no longer translucent, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a plate and keep warm.
- Add the wine to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Return the shrimp to the pan and toss to coat in the sauce. Sprinkle with the parsley. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Dinner, Entree, Lunch, Main Course, Seafood
Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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FANTASTIC! Thanks.
This was super easy and so delicious. It’s my new favorite Italian recipe.
Just like another commenter said, this recipe is quick, easy and delicious! I only used one pan and one pot (for the pasta) so clean up was also so quick. Perfect weeknight meal. Will definitely make again!
Quick, easy and delicious. I added 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice.
Best I have ever made.
I have made this twice before for our Anniversary, this time I wanted to make it Valentines Day but everything has been so crazy here! So, I am making this tonight. I found Gulf Shrimp (pealed & devained) at Aldi’s in the frozen section for around $5-$7.00 that comes with approximately 50 Shrimp per bag… Win Win! Absolutely DELICIOUS, thank you for sharing!
That is a win! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe Noel!
Easy and delicious!
It has been a crazy day and I was running late with dinner. This recipe came together so quick we still got the little ones in bed on time. Thank you for sharing it.
Tried this recipe, followed it exactly and it came out very delicious. My son loved it.
Prepared as written; just doubled all ingredients to insure leftovers. Yum Yum! Husband commented “DELICIOUS” yesterday when first eaten and again today after he had leftovers. It’s a definite repeat!!
Stellar, delicious! Sweet, spicy, flavorful. Definitely want some crusty bread for soaking.
Does this make alot of sauce? My family and I love our pasta drowning in sauce
It does make a fair amount of sauce Donna, but if you prefer more this sauce can easily be doubled!
Wow! This one is a keeper, for sure. I’m not known for my culinary skills, but this came out tasting restaurant quality. So much flavor – which I was worried about because I’ve ended up with bland white wine sauces following other recipes. Fresh parsley is important here I think. And the red pepper flakes. I was hesitant, but they added the most subtle warmth on your tongue to contrast the brightness of the wine and parsley. I did add a squeeze of fresh lemon because I had it handy. I also reserved a bit of the butter, chilled it, and added at the very end to thicken the sauce and stirred stirred stirred til it was melted in and the pasta had a chance to absorb some of the liquid. Easily top 5 best things I’ve cooked.
Quantities?????
Hi JB, you will find the full recipe with quantities and cook instructions towards the bottom of the post, you can also use the jump to recipe button at the top to take you directly there. Enjoy!
So simple and delicious!!! Just the right amount of heat from the red pepper :)
Perfect summer light dinner.
Made this for my husband. He said it wasn’t bad but it was very soupy. I followed the recipe exact but didn’t achieve a thick sauce at all.
Hi Isabelle, this recipe makes a thinner buttery sauce for the pasta. We have never tried thickening this sauce but you could try slowly adding a slurry to help it thicken to your preferred consistency.