How To Make Shrimp Scampi Olive Garden

Classic Shrimp Scampi Pasta is an easy Italian comfort food recipe! It's made with butter, garlic, white wine, chicken stock, lemon juice, parsley, and shrimp.

This recipe serves eight and costs about $18.42 to make. That's just $2.30 per serving. And did I mention that this recipe is ready in just 20 minutes?!

Quick and easy pasta recipes make the best weeknight dinners! At my house, we love whipping up Tomato-Basil Pasta , Citrus Cream Pasta , Caprese Pasta Bake , and this recipe because they all take 20 minutes or less to make!

An overhead picture of Shrimp Scampi in a white bowl.

Shrimp Scampi reigns supreme as some of my favorite Italian comfort food. It's so easy to make, incredibly flavorful (thank you garlic!), and everyone loves it!

While fresh shrimp can be a bit on the expensive side, making Shrimp Scampi Pasta at home is far less expensive than ordering it at Olive Garden , so fresh shrimp is definitely worth the splurge!

What is the difference between shrimp and shrimp scampi?

The word "scampi" refers to an Italian dish made with lobster or shrimp that's poached in white wine, garlic, and chicken stock and served with parmesan cheese. Scampi can refer to the cooking style or the lobster or shrimp themselves.

Shrimp Scampi is the same as above but served over pasta, usually spaghetti or linguine.

RELATED: How to Peel and Devein Shrimp| Baked Stuffed Shrimp

What is scampi sauce made of?

It's the sauce that coats both the shrimp and the pasta in this dish. It's simmered until slightly thickened, and the sauce has the following ingredients:

butter
garlic
white wine
chicken stock
lemon juice
fresh parsley
salt & pepper

Can you make Shrimp Scampi without wine?

Yes! In my recipe below, you can skip the wine and use these 2 alternatives:

Instead of wine, use 1 cup of white grape juice mixed with 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar.
Replace the wine with chicken stock, so the total amount of chicken stock for this recipe would be 1 1/2 cups.

Can you use frozen shrimp to make Shrimp Scampi?

While fresh shrimp is ideal when making scampi, you can use frozen shrimp, but it will need to be defrosted.

How do you defrost shrimp?

My favorite method is to let the shrimp thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Right before cooking, gently drain and rinse the shrimp. You can now use the shrimp as directed in the recipe below.
You can also place frozen shrimp in a large bowl filled with cold water. Small shrimp will take about 15 minutes to thaw, and jumbo shrimp will take about 30 minutes to thaw. Once thawed, drain the shrimp.

What sides go with shrimp scampi?

Bread and Salad are the perfect sides to serve with Shrimp Scampi. Here are a few recipes to give you some inspiration:

Pizza Dough Garlic Knots
Pull-Apart Potato Rolls
Crescent Rolls
Thanksgiving Salad
Italian Salad
Spinach Salad

How do you make Shrimp Scampi?

It's fairly easy to make, here's how:

Sauté the garlic (you'll need 8 hearty cloves) in olive oil.
Poach the shrimp in white wine and chicken stock.
Remove the shrimp from the pan and cook the remaining liquid until it's reduced by half.
Whisk in the butter and lemon juice.
Toss the pasta, scampi sauce, and shrimp together and serve with parsley and Parmesan cheese.

A picture collage of the differnt recipe steps for how to make Shrimp Scampi.

Cook's Tools:

pasta pot
deep heavy-bottomed skillet
slotted spoon
whisk
colander
tongs

Ingredients and Cost

RECIPE COST: $18.42

PER SERVING COST: $2.30

NOTE: The recipe prices are calculated by using grocery store websites. The actual cost of the recipe will vary depending on what ingredients you already have.

1 pound spaghetti – $0.82
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil – $0.42
8 large garlic cloves – $0.40
1 cup dry white wine – $1.34
½ cup chicken stock – $0.16
2 pounds extra-large shrimp – $13.94
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter – $0.80
¼ cup lemon juice – $0.26
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley – $0.28

All of the ingredients needed to make Shrimp Scampi.

How long is this good for:

SERVE: You can keep the shrimp scampi pasta at room temperature for up to 2 hours before it will need to be refrigerated.

STORE: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

FREEZE: While technically you can freeze this recipe, I do not recommend it. This is because the shrimp because rubbery when cooked, frozen, and then thawed and reheated.

Cook's Note:

Don't be tempted to use chicken broth in this recipe. Use chicken stock because it's more flavorful.
While this recipe calls for spaghetti, you can use any pasta that you'd like. I usually serve this dish with spaghetti, linguine, or angel hair pasta.

A close up overhead picture of the finished Shrimp Scampi pasta.

More Quick and Easy Recipes :

Chicken Barley Soup
Pasta Primavera
Hawaiian Fried Rice
Loaded Breakfast Sandwich
Stovetop Chicken Souvlaki
Ground Beef Stroganoff
Chicken Enchilada Soup
Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup
One-Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls
Pantry Chicken Taco Soup
Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ham and Cheese Quiche

A close up picture of the finished classic Shrimp Scampi pasta.

1 pound spaghetti
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
8 large garlic cloves minced
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup chicken stock
2 pounds extra-large shrimp peeled and deveined
8 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces
¼ cup lemon juice
2 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

FOR SERVING (optional):

Lemon wedges
Chopped fresh parsley
Freshly grated Parmesan

COOK PASTA

Cook the spaghetti as per package instructions, and drain and toss the pasta with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

COOK SHRIMP:

While the pasta boils, continue with the recipe. In a large and deep heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and cook, while constantly stirring, until fragrant, for about 30-60 seconds. Pour in the wine and chicken stock, and bring the mixture to a boil.
Gently place the shrimp in the boiling liquid and cook until the shrimp are just beginning to turn translucent about 2 minutes. Gently stir the shrimp, reduce the heat to medium, and cover the pan. Cook until the shrimp are cooked through, about another 2 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to move the shrimp to a bowl.

MAKE SAUCE:

Increase the heat to medium-high and cook the liquid until it is reduced by half, about 1-2 minutes. Add the butter pieces to the pan and whisk them into the sauce. Whisk in the lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

TO FINISH:

In a large serving bowl add the drained spaghetti, the sauce, shrimp, and chopped fresh parsley. Toss to coat and serve with lemon wedges and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

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