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You can have this elegant, flavorful Easy Shrimp Scampi Recipe on the table in under 30 minutes. The shrimp are sautéed in a lemon garlic butter sauce with crushed red pepper flakes and tossed in a fettuccine with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes.
This Easy Shrimp Scampi comes together in 30 minutes, start to finish. Shrimp gets sautéed in a lemon garlic butter sauce with crushed red pepper, then tossed with fettuccine, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes for a version that has more depth than a classic scampi. The sun-dried tomatoes add a concentrated sweetness that balances the lemon, and the spinach wilts right into the sauce for extra color and nutrients without extra steps.
It’s an easy weeknight dinner, but the lemon butter sauce and wine make it feel dressed up enough for date night or a small dinner party too. Frozen shrimp works fine here, just let it thaw on the counter while you prep everything else. If you like shrimp pasta, you’ll also want to try this Lemon Shrimp and Orzo, Shrimp Pesto Pasta, or this One Pot Mediterranean Shrimp Pasta.
Why This Recipe Works
The lemon juice and white wine both hit the pan before the shrimp, which builds an acidic base that keeps the butter sauce from tasting flat once everything comes together. Sautéing the garlic in butter and olive oil together, rather than butter alone, gives the sauce more depth and keeps the garlic from burning at high heat. Sun-dried tomatoes bring a concentrated sweetness that regular tomatoes can’t match in a quick sauce, and they hold their texture instead of breaking down. Fettuccine’s width lets it carry the sauce and the wilted spinach in every bite, thinner pasta tends to slide off the fork with the vegetables left behind.
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s an overview of the simple ingredients we’re using. Jump to the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and printable instructions.
- Pasta: This pasta dish uses fettuccini which I really enjoy. You also can use regular spaghetti or thin spaghetti or even linguine.
- Lemon: The lemon juice adds acidity and sweetness to the shrimp dish. It really brightens the flavors.
- Shrimp: I like to use peeled and deveined shrimp with tails on to add flavor.
- Wine: Use a drinkable white wine like a Pinot Grigio for the sauce.
- Vegetables: There is a mixture of sun-dried tomatoes and spinach in this pasta recipe. I like to use fresh spinach if possible but if you have to use frozen make sure to drain any excess water.
Recipe Modifications
- Protein swaps: Swap the shrimp for bay scallops or a firm white fish like cod, cut into bite-sized pieces. Cook time will vary, scallops need about 2 minutes per side, fish flakes apart if overcooked so watch it closely.
- Make it dairy-free: Skip the butter and use olive oil only, increasing to 4 tablespoons total. The sauce will be lighter but still holds together well with the wine and lemon.
- Lower the carbs: Serve the shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach over zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash instead of pasta. Reduce the wine slightly longer since there’s no pasta water to help loosen the sauce.
- Add more vegetables: Cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, or thinly sliced bell pepper all work well added in with the sun-dried tomatoes. Add them a minute before the spinach so they soften without turning mushy.
- Make it a Lebanese-leaning twist: Swap the crushed red pepper for a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper and finish the dish with a dusting of sumac instead of lemon zest. The sumac adds the same brightness as the zest with a more citrusy, tart edge.
- No wine on hand: Use low-sodium chicken broth with an extra splash of lemon juice, already covered in the recipe card notes, but worth repeating here if this section gets pulled out on its own.
How to Make this Shrimp Scampi
Step 1: Cook Pasta: Cook the pasta according to the package and set aside once done cooking.
Step 2: Sauté Garlic and Shrimp: While the pasta is cooking heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 Tablespoons butter and 1 Tablespoon lemon juice and stir until the butter melts. Add the minced garlic, crushed red pepper and a dash of salt and pepper and stir until fragrant, about 30-40 seconds. Add the shrimp and cook, turning occasionally, until pink and opaque, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
Step 3: Add Lemon Juice: In the same skillet over medium heat add the white wine and 1 Tablespoon lemon juice and let simmer for 1 minute, using a wooden spoon to scape the brown bits off of the pan.
Step 4: Add Remaining Ingredients: Add the sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and pasta into the white wine and sauté until the spinach is wilted. Add the shrimp back in and fresh parsley and sauté for 1 minute. Serve warm with freshly grated parmesan, parsley and lemon zest.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overcooking the shrimp. Pull them from the pan the moment they turn pink and opaque, about 4 minutes, they finish cooking when you add them back in with the pasta.
- Skipping the fond. Those browned bits left in the pan after cooking the shrimp are flavor. Scraping them up with the wine is what gives the sauce its depth.
- Using frozen spinach without draining it. Excess water will thin out the sauce and dilute the lemon and wine flavors.
- Adding cold pasta straight from a colander. Toss it into the hot pan right after draining so it absorbs the sauce instead of sitting on top of it.
- Using a sweet wine. A dry white like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc keeps the sauce balanced, a sweeter wine will throw off the acidity.
What to Pair with Shrimp Scampi
- I like serving potatoes with our meals throughout the week. Some of my favorites are these Gouda Smashed Potatoes, Spicy Lebanese Potatoes or these Lemon Cilantro Potatoes.
- Adding a salad to your meals is a nice way to get those vegetables and greens in. A few of the ones I serve on repeat are this Lemon Arugula Salad with Pine Nuts, Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing or this Mediterranean Bean Salad.
- Simple side dishes work nicely with this shrimp dish. A few I make are this Simple Roasted Broccoli, Za’atar Roasted Cauliflower with Yogurt Tahini Sauce or these Za’atar Roasted Carrots.
Storage Tips
Store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat you can either microwave this or you can bake it in the oven.
Recipe FAQ
Yes. Thaw frozen shrimp on the counter while you prep the other ingredients, or run it under cool water in a colander for a faster thaw. Pat it dry before cooking so it sears instead of steams.
Low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth works as a substitute. Add a splash of extra lemon juice to make up for the acidity the wine would have provided.
Yes. Skip the fettuccine and serve the shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach over rice, orzo, or with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
This usually happens when frozen spinach isn’t drained well, or when the pasta is added before the sauce has had a chance to reduce slightly. Let the wine simmer the full minute before adding the pasta back in.
More Shrimp Recipes
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Easy Shrimp Scampi Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound fettuccine {or pasta of your choice}, cooked
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled, deveined shrimp, tails removed (thawed, if frozen)
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper {more or less depending on spiciness you like}
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Dash of pepper
- 1/2 cup white wine {I used Sauvignon Blanc}
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Fresh parsley for garnish
- Lemon zest for garnish
- Parmesan for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package and set aside once done cooking.
- While the pasta is cooking heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 Tablespoons butter and 1 Tablespoon lemon juice and stir until the butter melts. Add the minced garlic, crushed red pepper and a dash of salt and pepper and stir until fragrant, about 30-40 seconds.
- Add the shrimp and cook, turning occasionally, until pink and opaque, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
- In the same skillet over medium heat add the white wine and 1 Tablespoon lemon juice and let simmer for 1 minute, using a wooden spoon to scape the brown bits off of the pan.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and pasta into the white wine and sauté until the spinach is wilted.
- Add the shrimp and fresh parsley and sauté for 1 minute. Serve warm with freshly grated parmesan, parsley and lemon zest.
Notes
- I like to keep the tails on for presentation, but feel free to remove them before cooking if you prefer.
- Longer pasta shapes like linguine or fettuccine hold the sauce best.
- No white wine on hand or prefer to skip it? Swap in low-sodium chicken broth and add an extra splash of lemon juice.
- This recipe is best eaten fresh, but leftovers reheat well with a splash of broth to loosen the sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thanks!!
Quick question:
The photo of the ingredients looks like you’ve included shallots, but I don’t see where in the instructions you add them. Is it just the typical sauté with the garlic butter olive oil, or are you adding it with the shrimp?
Thanks!
Sorry! I realized that photo was for my garlic lemon shrimp recipe. This recipe doesn’t have shallots. If you do want to add shallots that will work- just saute with the garlic!
Delicious. Big hit at our family dinner
I am so glad to hear this!
I love shrimp scampi! This dish looks great, I’ve never thought to add sun dried tomatoes to the dish before!
Thanks Sabrina!
That’s a gorgeous bowl of deliciousness.
Yes it is! Thanks!
Shrimp pasta is one of my favorite things to cook. It is one of our fancy meals too. This version looks fantastic, totally loving the addition of sun dried tomatoes!
Thanks Des! I love shrimp pasta too.
Sun-dried tomatoes pack such powerful flavor! Love them in this shrimp scampi. Delicious.
Thanks! It does pack a flavorful punch!
I love shrimp and you certainly had me with your lemon butter sauce! Looks like delicious comfort food to me!
Thanks! The sauce is great.