About Shrimp Scampi Linguine
Those of you who follow this blog know how much of a seafood lover I am, and this white wine shrimp scampi is no exception. Or, wait, would this qualify as a lemony shrimp scampi?
I guess it probably depends on your favorite flavor, because this homemade scampi sauce has both lemon and white wine.
This recipe has entered my life at just the right time, because it’s been another hectic week over here at our house – but, thankfully, in all the best ways:
For one, we have company visiting, and although I wish the circumstances were better it’s still been nice having someone to spend the long weekdays with while an old friend of mine is still at work.
And for two, now that I’m working from home, it’s (surprisingly) easy to forget how nice a long, thoughtful conversations can be. Usually, I make do by making silly small talk with the dogs (way more than I probably should) but nothing beats just sharing thoughts and stories with someone for hours.
Another great perk of having someone in the house with me?
I have help eating trying out all the recipes I make! Like, say, a freshly cooked dinner of shrimp scampi with white wine.
Or lemony shrimp scampi.
Sorry, I can’t seem to make up my mind how to describe this dish, because both flavors come together so wonderfully.
I have to be “careful” when it comes to seafood recipes, because I’m such pushover when it comes to seafood you can almost guarantee that I’ll eat it and love it and want seconds 5 minutes ago. I don’t think there’s such thing as a “bad” shrimp dish.
an old friend of mine doesn’t share my enthusiasm for shrimp (or seafood in general) so I have to space out my shrimp fixes with pasta and chicken and steak to help keep the food peace.
But with this recipe, I got to cheat, since I made it for lunch for the just houseguest and I.
I felt a little sneaky about it, but in all the good ways:
For one, I got to have twice as many helpings as I normally do.
And for two, I got to experiment with red pepper flakes. This dish is written to be a spicy shrimp scampi, but you can adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to suit your tastes.
This shrimp scampi with linguine is more lemony / wine-y (does that word work here?) than it is buttery, but it compliments the shrimp and pasta extremely well.
Add in the fact that it only took me 15 minutes to make, I could easily see this being my new guilty pleasure lunch whenever I need my seafood fix.
Which white wine should be used?
I’ve said a few times that this is white wine shrimp scampi, but you won’t see me listing the name of the wine I used – and that’s because I used plain ‘ol cooking wine from the baking aisle at my grocery store.
You can certainly go all out with and use your favorite dry white wine in this dish, but for me, I like to keep this dish budget-friendly and save the good white wine for drinking.
What to serve with shrimp scampi linguine
This pasta dish has a delightfully light flavor, so you can pair it with just about anything. That being said, I like to go with Italian classics such as:
- Garlic bread
- Classic Caprese
- Parmesan Asparagus
- Baked Parmesan Tomatoes
Notes & tips for this lemony shrimp scampi
- Cooking shrimp can be very tricky. To a trained eye, you can see that even the shrimp in these photos are a tad overcooked (the unfortunate result of trying to work a video camera while I cook.) If you’re looking for some helpful pointers how to cook perfect crustaceans, be sure to check out this guide on How to Cook Shrimp and Mistakes to Avoid.
- I glossed over it above, but keep in mind that this recipe as written is a spicy shrimp scampi. It’s not too hot, but you’ll definitely feel a bit of a burn. I tend to prepare it this way in mixed company but when I’m by myself I’ll exclude the red pepper flakes altogether.
- I’ve been asked if this dish can be made as just homemade scampi sauce. Yes, you can do this, but I’d recommend doubling or tripling the amount of butter used and reducing the amount of lemon and white wine (maybe by half). This recipe makes a watery sauce, and while this goes great with pasta it wouldn’t do well as traditional shrimp scampi. You’ll want it thicker and with more butter.
More great seafood recipes
How do you make shrimp scampi with linguine?
This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.
Step 1 – In a large skillet, melt butter and season with garlic and red pepper flakes.
Step 2 – Add shrimp and cook until bodies are pink and slightly curled.
Step 3 – Pour in white wine and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
Step 4 – Add in some cooked linguine pasta, then toss to coat with the shrimp and scampi sauce.
Step 5 – Sprinkle pasta with parmesan and fresh parsley.
Step 6 – Serve and enjoy!
This post was originally published on February 28, 2015. It was updated with new pictures and revised recipe instructions on April 6th, 2017.
Recipe Details
Shrimp Scampi with Linguine
Ingredients
Instructions
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In a 6 quart stockpot, cook linguine in salted water to package directions. Drain and set aside.
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While pasta cooks, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and raw shrimp. Stirring occasionally, cook until shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes.
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Pour in white wine and lemon juice in to the skillet with the shrimp, then season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat.
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Stir in pasta cooked pasta and sprinkle top with sprinkle top with parmesan and parsley.
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Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Recipe adapted from Damn Delicious.
This linguine looks divine! I am so craving a bowlful right now. Yum!
Thank you Thalia 😀 I’ve been craving more of it, too. Need to restock my shrimp supply!
This came out great. I used a tad more white whine and about 2 more table spoons of butter. I also crushed the red pepper with mortar and pestle which made it a bit more spicy. I think next time I will use a little less red pepper because the mortar pestle really infused more heat into the dish. I also chose to use angel hair pasta.
Thanks for a great simple recipe!
So simple to make and fast. Perfect for those days when you are either in a hurry or just don’t feel like a super heavy meal. Love it.
Thanks Joyce! This was super easy to make, even with setting up for a photo. Nadine seemed to like it, too.
Can’t wait to make this.
Let me know if you guys like it when you do 😀
We love shrimp and pasta at our house. This recipe looks amazing! Will be trying this very soon!!
Thanks Jamie! Hope your house likes it as much as mine did 😀
YOU SIMPLY CAN’T GO WRONG WITH SHRIMP SCAMPI! Growing up in an Italian household, this was a staple and it is amazing. Your pictures look great too! Yum!
I agree Krysta! And thank you 😀
My only comment is that Parmesan cheese will overpower the delicate shrimp. Cheese and seafood is a no no
Oh my gosh, I am drooling! This looks so yummy!
Thank you Shannon! It tastes as good as it looks 😀
I always order shrimp scampi when I go out to eat, this looks so much better! Going to stock up on shrimp next time I go to the market so I can recreate this yummy dinner at home!
I enjoyed it although I thought it could have used less lemon juice. I tasted lemon juice more than anything else.
Thanks for the feedback, Linda!
I agree, if you are not really a fan of a lemony taste, then do not put too much of it. There’s a heat using 1/2tsp of red pepper flakes, if you do not that spicy, use a little less.
I was looking for a recipe that uses just the cooking wine and this is perfect for me.
Overall, we love the dish, it is delicious!
Listen, and listen Well, there is absolutely no such thing as Cooking Wine, what is sold in markets today and is listed as coookig wine, it’s Crap, loaded with sodium, and will absolutely ruin a light and mellow dish, such as scampi. I recommend using Vermouth (dry) and will not alter your food and will only hilite the flavor of what your cooking, without adding extra sodium, or a drinkable white wine, to complement your hard work. I am a Chef, and have been making Shrimp Scampi for years, and would not ever, make it, or anything with So called cooking Wine, if someone tells you differently, they don’t know what there talking about, sorry if I Have affended anyone, but that’s the Truth plain and simple ,
It taste ok but the lemon juice was a bit much.
This was delicious and super easy to make! One tip that I used was to reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water in case the pasta needed a little more moisture. It needed some of that. Perfect and EASY for a quick dinner when I’m working late.
In our Italian household we never use any kind of cheese with any seafood.
Is this regional any one have a answe please let me know .