Classic Shrimp Scampi
Jumbo shrimp seared until pink and just-cooked, then finished in a garlic, white wine, and lemon butter sauce that's so good you'll want to drink it. Served over linguine with a shower of fresh parsley. Twenty minutes, start to finish.
↓ Jump to Recipe
Shrimp scampi is the ultimate weeknight luxury — it looks and tastes impressive, but it comes together in the time it takes to boil pasta. The key is high heat and speed: you want the shrimp to sear and develop a little color, not steam and turn rubbery. Cook them in batches if needed, and pull them out of the pan while they still look slightly underdone. They'll finish in the hot sauce.
The sauce itself is a simple pan sauce — garlic, wine, lemon, butter — but the technique matters. You're building an emulsified butter sauce, which means adding cold butter off the heat and swirling rather than stirring. This keeps the sauce glossy and prevents it from breaking into greasy pools.
Ingredients
- 500g (1 lb) jumbo shrimp (16/20 count), peeled and deveined, tails on
- 400g (14 oz) linguine
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 240ml (1 cup) dry white wine (Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
- Juice and zest of 1 large lemon
- 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Salt and black pepper
- Flaky sea salt, to finish
Instructions
- Cook pasta. Boil linguine in heavily salted water until al dente (1–2 minutes less than package). Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Prep shrimp. Pat shrimp completely dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Sear shrimp. Heat olive oil and 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over high heat. When butter foams, add shrimp in a single layer. Sear 60–90 seconds per side until pink and just barely cooked through. Work in batches if needed. Transfer to a plate.
- Build the sauce. Reduce heat to medium. In the same pan, add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook 60 seconds until fragrant. Pour in white wine, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer 2–3 minutes until wine reduces by half.
- Finish with butter. Remove from heat. Add remaining 4 tbsp cold butter and lemon juice. Swirl the pan until butter melts into a glossy emulsified sauce. Add lemon zest.
- Combine. Return shrimp to the pan. Add drained pasta and a splash of pasta water. Toss over medium heat until everything is coated and the sauce clings to the noodles. Add more pasta water as needed.
- Serve. Plate immediately. Top with chopped parsley and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Serve with crusty bread to mop up the sauce.
Chef's Pro Tips
- Size matters: use 16/20 count shrimp (that means 16–20 per pound). Smaller shrimp overcook in seconds.
- Dry the shrimp: moisture prevents searing. Any water on the surface creates steam and you'll get grey, boiled-looking shrimp instead of golden ones.
- Don't overcook: shrimp are done when they curl into a loose C shape. An O shape means overcooked and rubbery.
- No wine? Substitute with chicken broth and add an extra tablespoon of lemon juice.