The Yummiest Shrimp Scampi Recipe You Can Easily Make

In this post, we'll walk you through our easy shrimp scampi recipe from start to finish. We'll talk about the necessary ingredients, the steps to follow for prep and cooking, and how to plate your finished dish to make it as appetizing as possible.

What Do You Need To Make Shrimp Scampi?

Here are all of the ingredients used in our shrimp scampi recipe. Visit our shrimp scampi page to find out exactly how much of each of these ingredients to use while cooking. 

The Basics

• Spaghetti. You can technically make shrimp scampi with any type of pasta, but the dish is traditionally prepared with spaghetti or another type of thin noodle like angel hair pasta. If you're aiming to make this recipe with fewer carbohydrates, you can use zucchini noodles instead.

• Cooked shrimp. You'll be using pre-cooked shrimp in this recipe to keep the hassle to a minimum. While we always recommend cooking from scratch whenever possible, this is one instance where you'll be glad to save a little time. 

The Flavorings

• A clove of garlic. It's always a great idea to use fresh herbs and spices when cooking – especially when it comes to garlic. One of the key flavors in shrimp scampi is the blend of butter and garlic – along with a bit of a dry white wine like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or Chardonnay – that makes every bite taste incredible. 
  
  Using powdered garlic won't get you the freshness this recipe deserves, so make sure to pick up a clove from the store instead—or let us do it for you!
  

• A bit of mild chili powder. This spice gives your scampi the perfect little kick. Like fresh garlic cloves, the chili powder helps the other flavors in this recipe pop. For more spiciness, you can add red pepper flakes. 

• Butter. You'll need plenty of butter for this recipe, especially for making the mouth-watering scampi sauce. 

• Fresh parsley.  We're big fans of garnishes here at JOW, and parsley makes the perfect topping for this classy recipe! As always, fresh herbs are a better option than dried parsley flakes.

• Fresh lemon juice. Squeezing a bit of lemon juice into your shrimp scampi and adding lemon zest can up the dish’s acidity, bringing out the best flavors in the shrimp and pasta.

• Olive oil. You'll need cooking oil to fry your shrimp in a pan, as well as for when you're adding the finishing touches to each plate.

• Parmesan cheese. This classic topping is a staple in Italian cooking. When you pour just a few tablespoons of parmesan onto your scampi, the cheese will melt into the noodles, making each bite a bit richer.

Making Shrimp Scampi, Step by Step

Follow these instructions to make simple and delicious shrimp scampi.

• Start by removing the shells from the shrimp. 

• Peel your fresh garlic clove and mince it into tiny pieces. Toss these pieces in a small bowl for later.

• Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil on the stove. Cook the pasta in the boiling water, following the instructions on the box.

• As the pasta cooks, take out a large skillet and put it on medium-high heat on the stove. Add a teaspoon of olive oil to the pan, then toss in the shrimp. Top the shrimp with black pepper, salt, mild chili powder, and your minced garlic. If you want, you can also add fresh oregano.

• Drain the pasta in a colander and add it to the skillet with the shrimp in it. Let the pasta and shrimp simmer as you stir them together. Once the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, your shrimp scampi is ready to serve!

Wrapping It All Up

To complete this dish, take a few minutes to focus on plating and presentation. Try serving each plate with an even amount of shrimp to keep the meal looking as symmetrical and properly portioned as possible. Top your plates with olive oil and a sprinkling of parmesan, and you're good to go!

Want more great meals to cook? You can find plenty more delicious recipes on our cooking page.