You’ve never tasted a pasta dish quite as heavenly as Lemon Butter Shrimp Scampi with Linguine! This Italian-American favorite transforms simple ingredients into pure culinary magic, combining succulent shrimp with garlic-infused butter and bright citrus notes. Whether you’re a novice cook or seasoned chef, you’ll appreciate how the velvety sauce hugs each strand of perfectly cooked linguine. As you explore this timeless recipe, you’ll discover the secret behind its restaurant-quality appeal.
Key Takeaways
- Cook linguine in salted water until al dente while preparing shrimp and sauce in a separate pan.
- Sauté peeled shrimp in melted butter with minced garlic until pink and cooked through.
- Add fresh lemon juice and zest to the shrimp, creating a bright citrus-butter sauce.
- Reserve pasta water to help create a silky sauce that perfectly coats both linguine and shrimp.
- Combine shrimp, linguine, and sauce, garnishing with fresh parsley and extra lemon zest before serving.
History
While shrimp scampi’s origins can be traced back to Italian-American cuisine of the early 1920s, the dish doesn’t actually exist in traditional Italian cooking!
You’ll find that “scampi” refers to a specific type of small lobster in Italy, not the garlicky shrimp dish you know and love.
When Italian immigrants arrived in America, they discovered that large shrimp were more readily available than scampi. They adapted their cooking methods to create this new dish, using shrimp instead of the traditional langoustines they’d used back home.
The combination of butter, garlic, and lemon perfectly complemented the sweet, tender shrimp – and a classic was born!
Recipe
Shrimp scampi is a beloved Italian-American pasta dish that perfectly balances the delicate sweetness of shrimp with bright citrus and rich butter. The dish comes together quickly, making it an excellent choice for both weeknight dinners and special occasions.
The success of this dish relies on properly timing the pasta and shrimp cooking processes, ensuring the shrimp remains tender while creating a silky sauce that clings to every strand of linguine. When executed correctly, the result is a harmonious blend of garlic-infused butter sauce, perfectly cooked shrimp, and al dente pasta.
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 pound linguine pasta
- 1/2 cup butter
- 4 lemons
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: red pepper flakes
- Optional: fresh parsley for garnish
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook linguine according to package instructions. While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add minced garlic. Cook garlic for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add shrimp in a single layer and cook 2-3 minutes per side until pink. Zest and juice the lemons into the pan, then season with salt and pepper. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water, and add the linguine to the skillet. Toss everything together until well combined, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve desired sauce consistency.
For optimal results, avoid overcrowding the pan when cooking shrimp as this can lead to steaming instead of sautéing. The shrimp should be cooked just until they turn pink and curl into a loose “C” shape – if they curl into a tight “O,” they’re overcooked. Testing one shrimp for doneness before removing the entire batch from heat can help prevent overcooking.
If the sauce becomes too thick, gradually add the reserved pasta water to maintain the right consistency.
Cooking Steps
Your journey to perfect shrimp scampi starts with gathering all ingredients and bringing a large pot of salted water to boil for the linguine.
While the pasta cooks, you’ll create magic in a skillet by melting butter with minced garlic until fragrant, then quickly sautéing the shrimp until they turn a beautiful pink color.
Once the shrimp are ready, toss everything together with fresh lemon juice and zest, making sure to save some pasta water for achieving that silky, restaurant-style sauce!
Step 1. Prep Ingredients Before Starting
Before diving into this delightful shrimp scampi, you’ll need to prep all your ingredients to ensure smooth cooking. Start by peeling and deveining your pound of shrimp – don’t forget to save those shells for stock if you’d like!
Next, mince your garlic cloves until they’re fine and fragrant.
For the lemons, you’ll want to zest them first using a microplane or grater, then juice them afterward. It’s much easier to zest a whole lemon than a squeezed one!
Set out your butter to soften slightly at room temperature.
While you’re getting organized, fill that big pasta pot with water and add a generous pinch of salt – it should taste like seawater!
Having everything ready to go will make the actual cooking process a breeze.
Step 2. Boil Water for Pasta
With the ingredients prepped and ready, it’s time to get that pasta water going! Fill your largest pot with 4-5 quarts of fresh water – you’ll want plenty of room for the linguine to swim freely as it cooks.
Add 2 tablespoons of salt to the water – don’t worry, most of it won’t end up in your pasta, but it’ll ensure your noodles are wonderfully flavored from the inside out.
Turn your burner to high heat and bring the water to a rolling boil. You’ll know it’s ready when you see large, vigorous bubbles breaking the surface!
While you’re waiting for the water to boil, this is the perfect time to double-check that you have all your other ingredients measured and ready to go.
Perfect pasta timing is essential for scampi success!
Step 3. Melt Butter and Garlic
Place a large skillet over medium heat and drop in your 1/2 cup of butter.
Watch as it melts and begins to bubble gently, creating a golden pool of richness.
Once the butter’s completely melted, it’s time to add your minced garlic – all six fragrant cloves!
Let the garlic sizzle for exactly one minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
You’ll know it’s ready when your kitchen fills with an irresistible aroma and the garlic turns a light golden color.
Don’t let it brown, as this can make your sauce bitter!
Keep the heat steady at medium – you want the garlic to release its flavors without scorching.
The butter should be hot but not smoking, creating the perfect foundation for your scampi sauce.
Step 4. Cook Shrimp Until Pink
Now that your garlic-infused butter is ready, add the peeled and deveined shrimp to the sizzling skillet in a single layer.
Watch as the shrimp begin to turn from gray to a beautiful pink color – this transformation is your key indicator! Cook for 2-3 minutes on the first side until you see the edges becoming opaque.
Flip each shrimp carefully with tongs to cook the other side. Don’t overcrowd the pan, or your shrimp will steam instead of sauté properly.
They’ll need just 2-3 minutes more until they’re perfectly pink and slightly curled into a ‘C’ shape. You’ll know they’re done when they’re no longer translucent in the middle.
Remove them immediately from the heat – perfectly cooked shrimp should be tender and succulent!
Step 5. Combine and Serve Hot
Once the shrimp have reached their perfect pink hue, it’s time for the grand finale!
Add your al dente linguine directly to the skillet with the shrimp and sauce, then toss everything together with tongs until each strand is gloriously coated.
If your sauce needs a bit more body, drizzle in some of that reserved pasta water – it’ll help create a silky, luxurious texture.
Give everything a final toss and divide the pasta among warmed plates.
Top each serving with a generous portion of the tender shrimp and spoon any remaining sauce over the top.
For an extra burst of freshness, garnish with additional lemon zest and chopped parsley.
Serve immediately while the sauce is hot and the pasta’s perfectly glossy!
Final Thoughts
While mastering this classic shrimp scampi recipe takes a bit of practice, you’ll find it’s worth every minute spent perfecting your technique. The key is paying attention to those little details – from getting the perfect golden sear on your shrimp to achieving that silky, emulsified sauce that clings beautifully to the pasta.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with the amount of garlic or lemon to suit your taste! Remember that fresh ingredients make all the difference in this dish.
You can even try adding a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat or fresh parsley for color. Once you’ve mastered the basics, you’ll be amazed at how this restaurant-quality meal becomes a go-to favorite in your cooking repertoire.
It’s the perfect choice for both casual family dinners and elegant entertaining!
