Classic shrimp scampi with garlic, butter, lemon and wine sauce, tossed with linguine ~ on the table in 30 minutes.
Last weekend I had the house to myself for three whole days — a rare treat. The kids are off at college or beyond, and Meathead took an unusual fishing trip. So it was just Buddy and me, and I decided to make shrimp scampi with linguine. Simple, classic, and exactly what I had the ingredients for. It came together in under 30 minutes and provided delicious leftovers for the rest of the weekend.
Shrimp scampi is essentially shrimp cooked in a sauce of garlic, butter, lemon and white wine. I prefer generous sauce to toss with pasta, so I used the shrimp shells to make a quick stock by simmering them with wine and water while I prepped everything else. Reserving some pasta water also helps the sauce cling to the linguine — the combination of wine, stock and pasta water creates a silky, flavorful sauce.
I added thinly sliced shallot and a pinch of crushed red pepper for a touch of heat. If you don’t have shrimp shells to make stock, bottled clam juice is a good substitute that adds depth. This scampi is excellent tossed with linguine, but it’s also wonderful on its own with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
I really enjoyed the quiet weekend and having this dish all to myself. I’ll make it again soon so Meathead can try it — I’m sure he’ll love it. Kelly 🍴🐦
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UPDATED March 15, 2019: no changes to the recipe, just refreshed the presentation.
Shrimp Scampi with Linguine
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Ingredients
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined — reserve shells and/or tails
- 8 ounces linguine
- 3 tablespoons butter (I use Kerrygold salted butter)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 shallot thinly sliced
- ½ cup dry white wine + another ½ cup if making stock with shells
- ½ cup shrimp stock or bottled clam juice
- ½ cup pasta cooking water
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch crushed red pepper or to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- ⅓ cup chopped parsley
- Juice of 1 small lemon
Instructions
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Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. In a small pan, add the reserved shrimp shells and/or tails with ½ cup wine and ½ cup water. Bring to a boil, then cover partially and keep at a steady simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.
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Cook the linguine until just al dente. Reserve at least ½ cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta. Drain the shrimp stock and reserve ½ cup.
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In a large skillet, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the shallot and cook for a minute or two until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ½ cup wine, ½ cup shrimp stock or clam juice, ½ cup pasta water, salt, crushed red pepper and plenty of cracked black pepper. Simmer until the sauce reduces by about one-third, 5–7 minutes.
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Add the shrimp and cook until just pink and opaque, 2–3 minutes. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice. Over low heat, add the cooked linguine and toss to coat and heat through for another minute or two. Garnish with more chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 93g
Protein: 48g
Fat: 43g