Fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil bring summertime flavors to a classic dinner of Shrimp Scampi Pasta.
Fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil. Three ingredients that magically transform into very special recipes when a few simple additions are made.Add toasted bread and you have Bruschetta. Add mozzarella and you’ve just made a classic caprese.This recipe for shrimp scampi pasta takes those simple, classic flavors and with a twirl of a fork wrapped around slinky angel hair pasta puts the fresh taste of summer smack dab on your dinner table.
When the summer temps hit 95 degrees and up, as they do from July through August since I live in the desert mountains of the West, you won’t usually find me in the kitchen cooking over a hot pot on the stove.I’m much more of a grill girl when it comes down to dinnertime in the summertime.
Correction: I’m much more of a watching my guy grill when it comes to dinnertime. That’s why if we’re having shrimp, it’s usually been seasoned and skewered and lit up on the charcoals.But a summer of grilling isn’t always what I’m craving when I’m chilling.
The essence of summer was what I was craving when I saw shrimp at the grocery store and had a bunch of ripe tomatoes on my counter. Toss in some fresh chopped garlic, a handful of basil from the garden and I was on my way to a summer dinner wonderland.
I made this with low-carb pasta, which requires less time to cook than traditional pasta, making it an even quicker cook than usual. Getting me out of the kitchen and back to summertime chilling.
What’s in Shrimp Scampi?
In the spirit of simple summer dinners, I tried to keep the ingredients list for this easy shrimp scampi short and sweet. For this shrimp scampi with angel hair pasta, you’ll need:
- Angel hair pasta
- Kosher salt
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Shrimp
- White wine
- Lemon
- Tomato
- Butter
- Basil
- Parmesan cheese
How to Make Shrimp Scampi Pasta
You’ll first need to salt a pot of water and cook the angel hair pasta according to package instructions. You want the pasta to be al dente (it it’s too mushy, it won’t hold up next to the shrimp). Once the pasta is cooked, reserve a bit of the cooking water before draining.
Meanwhile, sauté the garlic and red pepper flakes in a little olive oil just until fragrant. Add the shrimp and cook until pink throughout.
Add in the wine, lemon juice, tomatoes, and butter, and cook until the butter is melted. Gently stir in the drained pasta and pour in a little pasta water to make the shrimp scampi more saucy, if desired. Garnish your homemade shrimp scampi with torn basil leaves and grated Parmesan cheese.
Can I Use Another Type of Pasta?
Angel hair pasta is the usual choice for shrimp scampi, but any long, thin noodle will work. A thin spaghetti would work well here, as would linguine.
Can I Make This in Advance?
I don’t recommend prepping this easy shrimp scampi in advance, no. Shrimp doesn’t reheat well, so you should enjoy this shrimp scampi right away.
Tips for Making Shrimp Scampi
For the best flavor, I recommend using real white wine (not white cooking wine) and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Because this shrimp scampi pasta is so simple, it’s important that you use the best ingredients possible when making it.
Also note that you should generously salt the pasta water before cooking the pasta. You want every layer of this dish to be well seasoned, and bland pasta is a major no-no in this recipe.
Lastly, if you don’t have shrimp or it’s not within your budget, you could try making this pasta with diced chicken breasts instead. You’ll definitely want to season the chicken generously since it’s not as flavorful as shrimp, but I bet it’d work well here!
More Easy Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
- Fresh Tomato and Ricotta Whole Wheat Pasta
- Pasta with Turkey Sausage and Peas
- Easy Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
- Linguine con Vongole (Linguine with Clam Sauce)
- One-Pot Penne Pasta with Turkey and Spinach
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram or Twitter with #foodiecrusheats.
4.49 from 37 votes
Shrimp Scampi Pasta
Fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil bring summertime flavors to a classic dinner of Shrimp Scampi Pasta.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword shrimp, shrimp scampi
Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes minutes
Total Time 10 minutes minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 539.39kcal
Ingredients
- 10 ounces angel hair pasta
- kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- ¾ cup white wine
- juice of one lemon
- 1 ½ cups seeded and chopped tomato
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup chopped basil
- grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and then salt generously with kosher salt. Add angel hair pasta and cook according for 8-10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, reserving ⅓ cup or so of pasta water and set aside.
While pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the garlic and the red pepper flakes. Cook for one minute or until garlic becomes fragrant. Add theshrimp and season with kosher salt. Cook for two minutes on one side then flip and cook for another minute or until just cooked through.
Add white wine, lemon and tomatoes and cook for another two minutes. Add butter and stir until butter melts through. Add pasta and cook to warm through while adding pasta water for more sauce if desired. Garnish basil and parmesan cheese and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 539.39kcal | Carbohydrates: 57.07g | Protein: 33.22g | Fat: 15.45g | Saturated Fat: 4.99g | Cholesterol: 300.81mg | Sodium: 943.03mg | Potassium: 421.99mg | Fiber: 2.94g | Sugar: 3.84g | Vitamin A: 835.68IU | Vitamin C: 13.47mg | Calcium: 197.88mg | Iron: 3.71mg
More Shrimp Recipes to Try
- My Favorite Shrimp and Grits Recipe
- Grilled Shrimp Vietnamese Spring Rolls
- Chipotle Lime Shrimp Bowls
- Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Crema
- Saucy Greek Baked Shrimp
Craving more life balance, less stress, and better health? Check out my Nourished Planner, the daily planner to help create simplicity and under-schedule your life.
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