Lemon Garlic Shrimp Scampi (Printable)

Tender shrimp cooked in lemon and garlic butter, tossed with linguine for a quick, flavorful dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

→ Pasta

02 - 12 oz linguine or spaghetti

→ Aromatics & Flavorings

03 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1/4 cup dry white wine
05 - Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
06 - 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or seafood broth
07 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
08 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

→ Fats

09 - 3 tbsp unsalted butter
10 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

→ Seasonings

11 - Salt, to taste
12 - Black pepper, to taste

# How To Make It:

01 - Boil linguine in salted water per package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, avoiding browning.
03 - Arrange shrimp in a single layer in the skillet, seasoning with salt, black pepper, and optional red pepper flakes. Cook 2 minutes per side until shrimp turn pink and opaque. Remove shrimp and set aside.
04 - Pour in dry white wine and chicken broth, scraping the pan to loosen browned bits. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
05 - Stir in lemon zest and juice, then return shrimp and accumulated juices to the skillet.
06 - Add drained pasta and remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water incrementally to achieve a silky sauce consistency.
07 - Incorporate chopped fresh parsley. Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper as needed.
08 - Present immediately with optional lemon wedges and parsley for garnish.

# Tips from dashanddishes:

01 -
  • It comes together in just twenty minutes, making it perfect for weeknight dinners when you want to feel like you've cooked something special
  • The lemon and garlic combination is so bright and balanced that it tastes far more complicated than it actually is
  • Shrimp cook so quickly that there's almost no room for error, which means even nervous cooks end up with restaurant-quality results
  • It's naturally elegant enough to serve to guests, yet casual enough for family dinner
02 -
  • Don't overcrowd the skillet when cooking shrimp, or they'll steam instead of sauté and lose their sweet flavor. If you have more than about twelve shrimp, work in batches
  • The pasta water is essential—those starch molecules are what make the sauce cling to the pasta and turn silky instead of greasy. Don't skip reserving it
  • Add the shrimp back at the end, not at the beginning. This prevents them from becoming tough while you're finishing the sauce
  • Fresh lemon juice makes an enormous difference compared to bottled. The brightness is what makes this dish sing
03 -
  • If you want to add vegetables, cherry tomatoes halved and added at the end work beautifully, or fresh spinach wilted in at the last moment—they don't change the cooking time
  • A glass of the same white wine you used in the recipe tastes perfect alongside this dish. The flavors echo each other in your mouth
  • Shrimp cook so fast that having everything prepped before you start cooking is essential. This is one recipe where mise en place genuinely prevents disaster

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