As decadent as it is simple, our Shrimp Scampi Linguine goes from prep to platter in a tight 15 minutes—a go-to for both weeknight dinners and last-minute entertaining. Another time saving tip: Use the same skillet to cook the shrimp and sauté the aromatics (garlic, red pepper) to reduce cleanup time. This staple of red-checkered tablecloth restaurants capitalizes on the simple union of briny shrimp and garlicky white wine butter sauce.

When cooking shrimp, be sure not to overcook; one minute per side should suffice. Serve immediately with a generous sprinkle of chopped parsley and lemon zest for a restaurant-worthy presentation.”Scampi” technically refers to a crustacean more commonly known as langoustines, a crayfish look-alike with a sweet flavor profile reminiscent of lobster. But in the U.S., it’s synonymous with everyone’s favorite shellfish.

When Italian immigrants brought scampi’s butter-and-garlic preparation method to the U.S., they swapped in more readily available shrimp. The pasta element was also added in American preparations, and thus a quintessential seafood pasta came into the Italian-American canon.

Shrimp Scampi Linguine

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces linguine
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions; drain.

  2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of shrimp, and cook 1 minute on each side or until opaque. Transfer shrimp to a plate, cover, and keep warm. Repeat with 1 tablespoon oil and remaining shrimp.

  3. Melt butter over medium heat in same skillet. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, and red pepper; sauté 3 minutes or until garlic starts to brown. Stir in cooked shrimp, parsley, lemon zest and juice, and salt; cook 1 minute. Add pasta, and cook 1 minute or until hot, tossing constantly. Serve immediately.