Get ready to master a classic dish with Dad’s tips for making the perfect shrimp scampi pasta! This easy and flavorful recipe combines succulent shrimp with a buttery, garlicky sauce, tossed with al dente pasta for a truly delicious meal. Using simple ingredients and straightforward techniques, this guide ensures you can create a restaurant-quality dish right at home.
First, gather your ingredients: fresh shrimp, garlic, lemon, butter, and white wine. Begin by heating butter and garlic in a pan. Then, add the shrimp, cooking until they turn pink and opaque. Remove the shrimp to avoid overcooking while you prepare the sauce.
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Next, in the same pan, add more butter, garlic, and a splash of white wine. Allow it to simmer until slightly reduced, then incorporate lemon juice and zest for a fresh, tangy kick. Return the shrimp to the pan, letting them soak up the flavorful sauce. Finally, toss in cooked pasta, ensuring each strand is coated in the rich, buttery sauce.
Dad's shrimp scampi pasta is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a special occasion. The combination of tender shrimp, garlicky sauce, and lemony brightness makes this dish a family favorite. Serve with a sprinkle of parsley and a side of crusty bread to soak up all the delicious sauce. Enjoy this easy, yet impressive, meal that's sure to become a staple in your home cooking repertoire!
TIPS FOR PERFECT SHRIMP SCAMPI PASTA
TIP NUMBER 1: USE FRESH HERBS
Fresh herbs elevate the flavor of your shrimp scampi pasta sauce. Dad recommends buying fresh basil at the grocery store; it's cost-effective and more flavorful than dried herbs. Using fresh herbs will make your sauce brighter and more delicious. If fresh herbs aren't available, dried herbs will still work well, just not as great as fresh ones.
TIP NUMBER 2: USE A STAINLESS-STEEL PAN
A stainless-steel pan, although a bit more work, will develop a better fond than a non-stick pan. Fond consists of the flavorful bits left at the bottom of the pan after sautéing, which form the foundation of your scampi sauce. A non-stick pan won't develop these bits, resulting in a less flavorful sauce. And don't worry about the cleanup—Dad has a Dad Hack on how to clean a crusty pan that makes it a breeze.
TIP NUMBER 3: COOK SHRIMP QUICKLY
Shrimp cook very quickly and can become rubbery if overcooked. Only about 2 minutes per side in a pan over medium heat is needed. You’ll know the shrimp are done when they turn a nice red color. Perfectly cooked shrimp should be tender, not bouncy.
Recipe
How to Make Shrimp Scampi Recipe
Ingredients
- 20 Frozen Shrimp Can use fresh also.
- 3 tablespoon Chopped Fresh Basil Can Substitute Dried (but don't)
- ¼ Cup Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Onion Powder
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 2 tablespoon Minced Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 3 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
- ¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil This is an estimate, you use as much as needed for your pan size.
- ¼ Cup Water
- ½ lb Cooked Pasta
Instructions
- If using frozen shrimp place them in a bowl and cover with cold water. After 20-25 minutes they will be thawed. (If using fresh shrimp, you can skip this step)
- Put a pan over medium high heat. Not too hot or the shrimp will cook too fast or burn.
- Add some olive oil, enough to coat the pan. We are not deep
frying so not too much. - Add your shrimp.
- Add ½ tablespoon of the garlic powder, ½ tablespoon of the onion powder and all of the salt.
- Cook for about 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle half of the spices over the shrimp and then flip them.
- Cook for another minute or 2.
- Stir them well, then remove them from the pan.
- Add the butter, minced garlic, basil and ½ of remaining spices.
- Stir well and scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the “bits”.
- Add the lemon juice and the remaining garlic powder & onion powder.
- Stir well being sure to scrape the pan as you go.
- Add the shrimp back to the pan.
- Add ¼ cup of water.
- Taste and see if you need to adjust the flavors. You can add more water if it is too “strong”.
- Sever over your favorite pasta. Plate and garnish with more fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese. Be sure to serve immediately because the sauce will thicken as it cools.
Video
Nutrition
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