Shrimp Scampi is an iconic Italian-American dish, featuring shrimp cooked in a rich, buttery sauce with garlic and lemon, sometimes a hint of white wine and parsley. Often, this is served as a sauce over pasta, and while Shrimp Scampi is often thought of as a pasta dish, it is not technically so.

There is a similar dish in Italy, known as Pasta agli Scampi, and various other preparations of scampi. Scampi are a type of shellfish not found in the States similar to very large shrimp or small lobsters. Garlic and white wine are often paired with seafood in Italy, so you can see where the pasta dish Americans know as Shrimp Scampi is not so dissimilar.

It’s hard to say exactly where Shrimp Scampi came from. I often like to learn further about dishes and do some digging and researching on origins, variations, techniques, etc. when writing up well-known recipes, ending with a neat little history to share with those of you who care about that part. This time I only came away with an even hazier idea of where Shrimp Scampi originates from, with many sources offering their take with no one able to say for certain. All we really need to know is that Shrimp Scampi is delicious and deceptively easy to make, winning hearts all over the world.

Recipe inspired by Ina Garten

Shrimp Scampi

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb / 500g linguine pasta

• 1/4 cup / 56g butter

• 3 Tbsp / 42g olive oil

• 5 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup / 119g dry white wine or broth

• 1 - 1 1/2 lb / 454-680g cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

• 1/3 cup / 79g freshly squeezed lemon juice

• zest of 1 lemon

• salt and pepper to taste

• red pepper flakes, lemon slices, fresh parsley leaves, for garnish, optional

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil, salt generously, and cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, heat butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Add wine and simmer for 1-2 minutes; add shrimp. Cook until simmering and shrimp is heated through.

4. Add parsley, lemon juice and zest; stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a gentle simmer while pasta finishes cooking.

5. Drain pasta when it is finished cooking, reserving about 1 cup of pasta water. Add pasta to sauce and toss to combine. Add pasta water as desired to thin/smooth out sauce.

6. Serve with red pepper flakes, lemon slices, and fresh parsley leaves.

Jenny’s Notes:

• The size and kind of shrimp you choose to add is largely up to you. Large or small, tails on or off. You can also use raw and cooked shrimp interchangeably, you will simply need to increase the cook time if using raw shrimp, by about 5 minutes, once you add the shrimp to ensure it turns pink and is cooked through.

• The quantity of shrimp is also per your tastes. I don’t love recipes that call for half a bag of this or half a can of this, leaving product that will potentially go to waste if you don’t find another use for it. I buy shrimp in 1 or 2 lb bags, and I’m happy using an even 1 lb bag of shrimp in this recipe. However, if the shrimp you buy comes in different quantities or you really love lots of shrimp, go for the 1.5lbs!