Shrimp scampi with linguine is the Italian American weeknight classic: large shrimp cooked in olive oil and butter with plenty of garlic, white wine, lemon and parsley, then tossed with pasta until every strand is glossy. Searing the shrimp first and finishing them in the sauce keeps them tender. It takes about 35 minutes and serves four.
Is scampi a shellfish or a way of cooking?
Both, depending on where you're eating. In Italy, scampi are langoustines, small clawed shellfish related to lobster. Italian American cooks kept the name and the treatment (garlic, butter, olive oil, white wine and lemon) but used the shrimp that were plentiful in the United States. Over time scampi came to mean the sauce itself, which is why menus list shrimp scampi and even chicken scampi.
This version follows the Italian American style. Shrimp scampi with linguine works because the long, flat strands hold a thin butter sauce better than round spaghetti, with more surface to catch the garlic and parsley. Fettuccine or spaghetti will do in a pinch. Avoid short shapes like penne, since the sauce is too loose to cling to them.
Scampi isn't a cream sauce, either. If yours turns out heavy, there's usually too much butter and not enough pasta water and lemon to balance it.
Which shrimp size should you buy?
Shrimp are sold by count, the number per pound, and lower numbers mean bigger shrimp. For scampi, large or extra large is the sweet spot: big enough to stay juicy through a sear, small enough to twirl onto a fork with the pasta.
| Label | Count per pound | First side | Second side |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jumbo | 16 to 20 | 90 seconds | 60 to 90 seconds |
| Extra large | 21 to 25 | 1 minute | 45 to 60 seconds |
| Large | 26 to 30 | 1 minute | 30 to 45 seconds |
| Medium | 31 to 40 | 45 seconds | 30 seconds |
Frozen raw shrimp are often a better buy than the thawed ones in the seafood case, which were usually frozen anyway. Get them peeled and deveined, or with the shells split down the back so they peel easily. Check the label too: shrimp treated with sodium tripolyphosphate hold extra water and won't sear well. Skip precooked shrimp entirely, because they toughen the moment they're reheated.
Why does the shrimp leave the pan before the sauce?
Shrimp cook in about 3 minutes, and the garlic and wine take longer than that. Cooked start to finish in the sauce, they turn tight and rubbery by the time the wine has reduced. A quick sear first gives them color and flavor while their centers are still slightly translucent, and they finish cooking during the last minute of tossing.
- Pat them dry and salt them just before they go in, so they sear instead of simmer.
- Lay them in a single layer in shimmering oil and leave them alone for 1 minute.
- Flip and cook 30 to 60 seconds more, until pink outside but still a little gray in the middle.
Watch the shape as well as the color. A loose C means they're just done, and a tight O means they've gone too far. The USDA safe minimum temperature chart lists 145°F for shellfish, the point where the flesh is pearly and opaque all the way through. Back in the hot sauce, they get there in about a minute.
When should the linguine come out of the water?
Linguine takes 9 to 11 minutes and the sauce takes about 8, so drop the pasta into the boiling water just before the shrimp hit the skillet. Use about 4 quarts of water with 1 1/2 tablespoons of kosher salt. It should taste pleasantly salty, since the pasta absorbs that seasoning and the sauce has little else to give it.
Drain the pasta 1 to 2 minutes before the package time, while it still has a firm, white core when you bite it. It finishes cooking in the skillet and drinks up some of the wine and butter, which is where most of its flavor comes from. Before you drain, scoop out a full cup of the cooking water. You'll use about half. The rest is insurance in case the sauce tightens on the way to the table. Don't rinse the pasta, because rinsing washes off the surface starch that helps the sauce cling.
Garlic, wine and pasta water: building a sauce that clings
Slice the garlic thin rather than mincing it. Slices cook evenly and turn sweet and pale gold, while minced garlic has tiny bits that burn before the rest has softened. Eight cloves sounds like a lot, but it mellows in the butter. Lower the heat to medium low once the shrimp are out, add 2 tablespoons of butter with the garlic and chili flakes, and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Stop the moment the edges color.
Pour in the wine and let it bubble down by half. The underdone pasta goes in next with half a cup of its cooking water and the rest of the butter in cubes. Toss hard with tongs for a minute or two. Starch in the water binds the butter and wine into a glossy coating on each strand, the same kind of emulsion that holds cacio e pepe together. If it looks oily or thin, add another splash of water and keep tossing.
Lemon juice, zest and parsley go in off the heat so they stay bright. Serve it straight away with crusty bread, and a grilled Caesar salad on the side if you want something crisp.
The recipe
Shrimp Scampi with Linguine, Garlic, White Wine and Lemon
Ingredients
For the pasta
- 1 lb (450 g) dried linguine
- 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, for the pasta water
For the shrimp and sauce
- 1 1/2 lb (680 g) extra large raw shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes and divided
- 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup (about 15 g) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Boil the water. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil with the 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt. Pat the shrimp very dry and toss them with the 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of pepper.
- Start the linguine. Add the linguine to the boiling water and cook it 1 to 2 minutes less than the package time, stirring during the first minute so it doesn't stick.
- Sear the shrimp. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium high heat until it shimmers. Sear the shrimp in a single layer for 1 minute, flip and cook 30 to 60 seconds more, until pink outside but still slightly translucent inside, then move them to a plate.
- Cook the garlic. Lower the heat to medium low, add 2 tablespoons of the butter, the garlic and the red pepper flakes, and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant and pale gold.
- Reduce the wine. Pour in the wine, scrape up any browned bits and simmer for about 2 minutes, until reduced by half.
- Toss and emulsify. Scoop out 1 cup of pasta water, drain the linguine and add it to the skillet with 1/2 cup of the water, the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and the shrimp with their juices. Toss over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sauce is glossy and the shrimp are opaque throughout.
- Finish and serve. Take the pan off the heat and toss in the lemon zest, lemon juice and parsley, adding a splash more pasta water if the sauce looks tight. Taste for salt and serve right away.
Cook's notes
- If you peel the shrimp yourself, simmer the shells in the wine for 5 minutes, then strain it and use as directed for a deeper seafood flavor.
- Leftovers keep up to 3 days in the fridge. Reheat them gently in a skillet with a splash of water, since the microwave toughens the shrimp.
- For a lighter sauce, swap half the butter for olive oil. It'll be less silky but still clings if you toss it well with pasta water.
- Gluten free linguine works, but it releases less starch, so add the pasta water a few tablespoons at a time.
Shrimp Scampi questions
Do I need wine for shrimp scampi?
No. Replace the 1/2 cup of white wine with chicken or seafood stock plus 1 extra tablespoon of lemon juice, which gives back some of the acidity the wine would bring. Reduce it the same way, by about half. The sauce tastes a little less layered, but the garlic, butter and lemon still carry the dish.
Should I leave the tails on the shrimp?
It's looks versus convenience. Tails left on look better on the plate and help the shrimp hold their shape, but everyone has to pull them off while eating pasta, which gets messy. For a weeknight bowl of linguine, take them off before cooking. For guests, leaving them on is fine as long as you put out a small dish for the tails.
Why did my garlic turn bitter in the scampi sauce?
The pan was too hot or the garlic cooked too long. After searing the shrimp the skillet is very hot, so drop the heat to medium low and wait about 30 seconds before adding the butter and garlic. Thin slices need only 1 to 2 minutes to turn pale gold. If they go dark brown, wipe the pan and start the garlic again.
How do I thaw frozen shrimp quickly?
Put the frozen shrimp in a colander and run cold tap water over them, tossing now and then, for 5 to 10 minutes until they bend easily. You can also seal them in a zip bag and submerge it in a bowl of cold water. Never use hot water, which starts cooking the outside, and pat them very dry before searing.
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