Shrimp Scampi with Linguine

AI-generated recipe illustration

Prep time

10 min

Cook time

15 min

Total time

25 min

Yield

4 servings

Shrimp scampi is date-night food that secretly takes twenty minutes: plump shrimp in a garlic-butter-white-wine sauce, tossed with linguine and a shower of parsley and lemon. The whole dish is timing, and the timing is easy — the sauce comes together while the pasta boils, and a cup of starchy pasta water marries them at the end. Keep a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer and this is the fanciest thing you can make from a standing start on a Tuesday.

Ingredients

• 12 oz linguine
• 1 1/2 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 5 tbsp butter, divided
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
• Juice of 1 lemon, plus wedges
• 1/3 cup chopped parsley
• Grated parmesan, to serve (controversial, delicious)

How to make shrimp scampi with linguine

1. Boil the linguine in well-salted water to al dente; reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.
2. Meanwhile, season the shrimp with salt and pepper flakes. Sear in olive oil over medium-high, 1–2 minutes per side, until just pink. Remove.
3. Lower the heat; melt 3 tbsp butter and cook the garlic gently 1–2 minutes until golden at the edges, not brown.
4. Add the wine and simmer 2 minutes to burn off the alcohol; add the lemon juice.
5. Return the shrimp, add the drained pasta, the last 2 tbsp butter, and a splash of pasta water; toss until the sauce goes silky and clings.
6. Shower with parsley and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Make it your own

Storage & leftovers

Refrigerate up to 2 days — shrimp pasta is a same-week affair.

Reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water or broth; the microwave rubberizes shrimp. We don't recommend freezing.

A few helpful answers

Cooking times and nutrition are estimates. Read our editorial policy, or send a correction.