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Tender shrimp, a light and lemony sauce, and perfectly cooked noodles combine in this recipe for Easy Shrimp Scampi Linguine. This absolutely delicious pasta dinner is ready in twenty minutes! It will be your new go-to weeknight meal in no time.
This recipe for easy shrimp scampi is made in one pot and on the table in less than a half hour. It's a perfect dinner to enjoy on busy days or times when you just don’t feel like cooking!
This is one of the easiest and tastiest pasta recipes I’ve ever made! I adore that it’s all made in one pot, requires minimal ingredients, and is so light and filling! Interested in trying it? Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredients for shrimp linguine:
- Fresh Shrimp (from frozen)
- Linguine Noodles
- Butter
- White Onion
- Fresh Garlic
- White Wine (optional!)
- Lemon
We love seafood in this house! And always have bags of frozen shrimp on hand. I like to stock up when they go on sale. Using frozen raw shrimp in cooking is a great way to enjoy fresh seafood without spending too much money.
How to thaw frozen shrimp
The day before – place frozen shrimp in a colander and set over a mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
The day of – place frozen shrimp in a colander and set over mixing bowl. Place the bowl in the sink for at least two hours, up to three.
When ready to cook the shrimp – lift the colander out of the bowl and discard any liquid in the bowl. Rinse the bowl and set aside. Rinse shrimp quickly with very cool water. If shrimp are unpeeled pinch the tail and pull apart from shrimp to easily remove the peel. Place in rinsed bowl until ready to use!
How to make shrimp scampi linguine
- Cook the pasta. To al dente in heavily salted water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- Sauté the onion and garlic. In the same pan you made the noodles in! With lots of butter.
- Add the wine and lemon juice. Cook it down just a bit to get some of the alcohol out.
- Cook the shrimp. For just a few minutes! You want the shrimp to be tender, not tough!
- Add the pasta. Back to the pan and toss everything together to coat. The shrimp will continue cooking in the hot sauce and pasta.
Cook the linguine and drain. Sauté the onion and garlic. Cook the shrimp in the white wine and lemon juice. Return the pasta to the pan. Toss to coat and combine. Garnish with parsley and more lemon to serve.
And that’s it! Twenty minutes (counting the time the pasta is boiling!) and you’ve got dinner on the table! It could not be easier!
Shrimp Scampi without white wine
This recipe does call for white wine (I like to use chardonnay!), but it can absolutely be made without it. The trick? Pasta water! It will help you create a luxurious, light, and silky sauce without any alcohol.
When draining the pasta, carefully pour some of the pasta water into a glass measuring cup. When making the sauce, add the pasta water in place of the white wine as called for in the recipe and continue cooking as directed!
Can I reheat shrimp scampi?
Technically, yes, you can reheat shrimp scampi. But! It’s never going to be as good as when it’s made fresh. That’s just the nature of pasta dishes. When we have leftovers I just zap them in the microwave for a minute or so until warm.
Please note, the shrimp will not be nearly as tender and as juicy as the day the pasta is made. The leftovers are still a great option for lunch, though!
You may also enjoy:
Easy Shrimp Scampi Linguine
Equipment
- Colander
- Stainless Steel Saucepan
Ingredients
- Kosher salt to taste
- 12 ounces linguine noodles ¾ of a box
- 1 pound raw shrimp from frozen
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup diced white onion
- 3 cloves fresh garlic minced
- ⅓ cup semi-dry/dry white wine such as chardonnay (optional!)
- 1 lemon juiced
Instructions
- Fill a large saucepan ⅔ of the way full of water and set over high heat. Bring to a boil and add a big handful of kosher salt (this will flavor the noodles!). Add the linguine and cook according to package directions until al dente (around 9 minutes for the brand we use).
- Drain the pasta into a colander and set aside. (If omitting the wine, reserve ⅓ cup of the pasta water at this point and set aside.)
- Set the same saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter and onion, stirring to coat. Season with a sprinkle of kosher salt. Cook the onions for 3 minutes, or until fragrant and beginning to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
- Add the wine and the lemon juice, stirring to combine. Cook for 2 minutes to cook out some of the alcohol.
- Add the shrimp to the pan in single layer. Cook for one minute before flipping over and cooking for another minute.
- Return the pasta to the pan and toss everything together to coat. Remove the pasta from the heat and serve immediately.
Melissa Lowry says
Delicious! I added some red pepper flakes in with the butter and garlic for an extra kick, and loved it. I've already shared the recipe with friends so they can get in on the easy pasta game!
Amanda says
Oh Melissa I am so happy to hear that! I like to add a pinch of red pepper flake too - such a fun punch up a flavor! Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂