20-Minute Shrimp Scampi Pasta
Silky garlic butter shrimp tossed with linguine, white wine, and lots of lemon. Twenty minutes of pure indulgence.
Shrimp scampi is the recipe I make when I've done nothing about dinner and need something impressive fast. It's five ingredients pretending to be ten.
For more fast pasta wins, see my weeknight tomato pasta and pesto pasta.
Ingredients
- 400g linguine
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- 500g large raw shrimp, peeled
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup (120ml) dry white wine
- Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
- Big handful chopped parsley
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in well-salted water. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Meanwhile, warm the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chili flakes and cook 1 minute — don't let the garlic colour past pale gold.
- Turn the heat up. Add the shrimp, season, and cook 2 minutes until just pink.
- Pour in the wine and lemon juice. Simmer 1 minute.
- Toss the drained pasta and parsley into the pan with a splash of pasta water. Toss vigorously until glossy and coated. Finish with lemon zest.
Cooking tips
- Undercook the pasta by 1 minute — it finishes in the sauce.
- The reserved pasta water is what makes the sauce cling. Never skip it.
- Fresh parsley, not dried, for this one.
More like this
If you enjoyed this recipe, you'll find more of my favourite quick & easy recipes in the archive, or browse the full collection.
You might also like
Weeknight Tomato Pasta
The pasta I make when I have no plan and no patience. Six ingredients, twenty minutes, a sauce that clings properly.
Fresh Basil Pesto Pasta
Bright, garlicky basil pesto, coating every strand of pasta in fifteen minutes. The dinner I make when good basil is in the fridge.
Garlic Butter Shrimp
Plump, juicy shrimp in a glossy garlic-butter sauce. Fifteen minutes from fridge to table, with a sauce that begs for bread.
Ten-Minute Garlic Butter Noodles
Glossy, garlicky noodles that come together in the time it takes the pasta to cook. Restaurant-style flavour from four sauce ingredients.