Skip to Content

Shrimp Scampi

June 29, 2024

Buttery, garlicky, shrimp-y, shrimp scampi recipe is easily the best meal you can cook in 15 minutes or less. Yum! Toss that garlic-butter shrimp with pasta, or grab a fork and dig straight in.

Categories

shrimp scampi on a plate made with butter, olive oil, wine, salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, parsley & lemon juice
Photography by Gayle McLeod

Our classic shrimp scampi recipe has all of our favorite things: White wine, butter, olive oil, a LOT of garlic, and shrimp. if you’re a little vague on the exact definition of shrimp scampi, guess what? You’re not alone and you’re not “wrong.” ‘Shrimp scampi’ means different things to different people, but it always involves butter, garlic and shrimp, sautéd to delicious perfection. For many of us, this garlicky, rich dish is a nostalgic Italian restaurant classic that’s always served over pasta.

Which brings us to another reason to love shrimp scampi—it’s versatile. Serve it straight up, over rice, tossed with pasta, or as a luxurious appetizer, however you eat it, it’ll be delicious. For more easy, fast shrimp recipes, check out our simple Steamed Shrimp, Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry, Shrimp Scampi En Papillote or our easy Greek shrimp.

shrimp, butter, olive oil, wine, salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, parsley & lemon juice in prep bowls

Classic Shrimp Scampi Ingredients

  • Large or extra-large shrimp. Hot tip: You can ask the fishmonger to peel and devein the shrimp for you (if they don’t seem super stressed out and busy).

  • Butter

  • Olive oil

  • Garlic. A lot of it—six cloves of fresh garlic.

  • Dry white wine. We like to use italian white wines like vermentino or pinot grigio that would also be nice to drink with the finished dish. If you don’t want to use wine in your scampi, that’s OK! Just use broth instead.

  • Red pepper flakes

  • Fresh parsley

  • Fresh lemon juice

wine being poured into a skillet with olive oil, butter and garlic
shrimp being added to a skillet with scampi sauce made with butter, olive oil, wine, garlic and spices
lemon juice & parsley being stirred into shrimp scampi in a skillet
homemade shrimp scampi on a serving plate surrounded by crusty bread

How to Make Shrimp Scampi

  1. Warm the oil and butter in a big skillet. Add all that garlic and breathe in.

  2. Pour in the wine or broth, and crank the heat. Let the whole fragrant thing simmer for a few minutes, then add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

  3. Add those big, beautiful shrimp! You don’t want to overcook shrimp, so watch for the shrimp to go from gray to bright pink. They cook fast — check for doneness around the 3-minute mark. Tongs are our favorite tool for cooking shrimp and moving them gently around in the pan so they stay tender.

  4. Shrimp scampi time! As soon as the shrimp are cooked, get those beauties off the heat. Move the pan, kill the heat, etc.

  5. Serve! If you want to serve the scampi just as-is with some bread for soaking up the scampi sauce, go for it.

shrimp scampi in a skillet made with butter, olive oil, wine, lemon juice, parsley and spices
homemade shrimp scampi served over pasta noodles with crusty bread

How To Serve Shrimp Scampi + Tips

  • Prefer your shrimp scampi with no wine? No problem! Just substitute chicken stock for the white wine.

  • To serve shrimp scampi over pasta: If you want to serve your shrimp scampi with pasta and want enough sauce to coat the noodles, add a quarter cup of pasta cooking water to the sautéed garlicky buttery shrimp mixture to make more of a pasta sauce.

  • Other ways to serve scampi: For some people, it’s just not shrimp scampi if it’s not served over angel hair pasta and we love to serve it over pasta. But these garlic-buttery shrimp can also be served as-is, alongside some crusty bread for dipping. It would also be delicious served over white rice, or even lemon rice.

  • How to shop for the best shrimp: Shrimp can be hard to buy — if you’re worried about fishing practices and human rights in the fish industry, check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch site, which always has good, up-to-date information about finding the best shrimp.

  • Why is it called ‘scampi’? “Scampi” is the Italian word for langoustine, a European crustacean that’s similar to shrimp. In Italy, a quick sauté in butter, olive oil and garlic (and sometimes white wine) is the traditional way to serve langoustines. Does this mean that “shrimp scampi” basically means “shrimp shrimp”? We like to think so. But in all seriousness, a more accurate interpretation would be to think of the name “shrimp scampi” as meaning that you cook American shrimp in the same style as scampi (langoustines) would traditionally be cooked in Italy.

homemade shrimp scampi served over pasta noodles with crusty bread

Authentic, Classic & Possibly The Best

For more recipe inspiration, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest or order our cookbook. We love when you share your meals. Tag us on Instagram using #themodernproper. Happy cooking!

💌 Let's Stay Together

There are so many great ways to receive all of our latest recipes, meal tips, and inspiration.

Shrimp Scampi

  • Serves: 6
  • Prep Time:  5 min
  • Cook Time:  15 min
  • Calories: 270

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons salted butter
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
  • ¾ cup dry white wine or chicken stock
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
  • 1½ pounds large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)

Method

  1. Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

    wine being poured into a skillet with olive oil, butter and garlic
  2. Stir in the wine and bring to a simmer. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, about 6 minutes. Stir in the salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until pink, opaque, and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes.

    lemon juice & parsley being stirred into shrimp scampi in a skillet
  3. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice before serving.

    homemade shrimp scampi on a serving plate surrounded by crusty bread

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories270
  • Protein27 g
  • Carbohydrates4 g
  • Total Fat14 g
  • Dietary Fiber0 g
  • Cholesterol20 mg
  • sodium248 mg
  • Total Sugars0 g

Shrimp Scampi

Questions & Reviews

Join the discussion below.

or
  • william

    if i don,t have red pepper flakes can i sub something or just leave out. how about using fire roasted tomatoes to recipe

    You can omit. Hope you enjoy William!

  • Michael

    About how much pasta will this coat if making the pasta method? 1 lb.? 1/2lb?

    I would say between 1/2-3/4 lb.

  • disqus_obuRZU0iiS

    is the pasta liquid included in the butter sauce before or after the shrimp cooks??

    We'd add the pasta water after the shrimp cooks—at the same time as you toss the pasta with the shrimp and butter sauce, right before serving.

  • Sherrie

    This recipe was so easy to follow and absolutely delicious! I've recently started cooking dinner rather than ordering Door Dash. I'm cancelling my DD subscription. My hubby and I loved it. He's taking the leftovers for lunch.

    Good for you Sherrie! We are so happy you both loved it!

  • Audrey

    So tasty!!! I served it over angel hair pasta. When I drained the pasta I used some of the delicious sauce to mix in with it before serving. Next time I want to add pine nuts!!! Will definitely be making this again!

    Thanks Audrey, we are so happy you loved it!

  • Sarah

    Loved it! I doubled the sauce and added some white onion and lots of extra garlic & lemon juice (can never get enough garlic in my house!) I served with 2 lb shrimp over 1.5 lb angel hair pasta with an herbed bread. I cooked for 7 and had plenty of leftovers. So happy with this recipe, much like all my experiences with The Modern Proper :) Thanks!

    Thanks so much Sarah, so happy you loved it!

  • jenn

    I don't cook shrimp very often, but I'm so glad I did! This was one of the most delicious pastas I've made at home.

    That's great, Jenn!