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How To Make a Crowd-Pleasing Shrimp Scampi

Hunter Lu
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Garlicky and buttery, shrimp scampi is equally delicious by itself or with pasta. An Italian American creation, versions of shrimp scampi can be found in many seafood restaurants. But shrimp scampi is actually quite easy to make at home — the key is good quality shrimp and fresh ingredients.

Raw Shrimp on cutting board with salt and herbs.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

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What is Scampi?

The word scampi actually refers to langoustines, a small, lobster-like shellfish popular in the Mediterranean and Europe. When Italian immigrants came to America, they adapted the recipe to use shrimp, a more available shellfish than langoustines in America. The seasoning remained similar regardless of shellfish choice — a combination of olive oil, garlic, onion, and white wine.

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Selecting the Shrimp

For scampi, any shrimp size is suitable ranging from jumbo to medium-sized shrimp. Just be sure to properly clean and prep your shrimp if purchased whole — shrimp scampi is best with shell-less shrimp as this allows the flavors to soak into the shrimp meat. A key point to remember is that shrimp overcooks quickly so timing is important. It can be helpful to take out your shrimp just before it’s completely cooked (this takes some experience to gauge the timing). The shrimp will continue to cook as it sits and when incorporated into the scampi sauce.

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To serve, enjoy your shrimp scampi over pasta, with a side of vegetables or alongside steak as surf and turf. Also, feel free to add ingredients like tomatoes, seasoned breadcrumbs or herbs like tarragon for a different flair. Pro tip: Have some good-quality, crusty bread on the side to soak up all the leftover sauce.

Shrimp Scampi with Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

Shrimp Scampi with Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus by Rastelli Foods Group
Image used with permission by copyright holder

(By Ray Rastelli, Jr. Founder, Rastelli Foods Group)

Rastelli Foods is a New Jersey-based grocery delivery service that offers responsibly sourced meat and seafood. All seafood at Rastelli is wild-caught or raised in the wild, using certified sustainable practices. Customers can build their own handcrafted boxes for one-time or recurring deliveries.

For Shrimp:

Ingredients: 

  • 1 pound shrimp
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons garlic, roasted and mashed
  • 2 tablespoons shallot, finely diced
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 lemon
  • 1/4 pound butter, cubed
  • 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus:

Ingredients: 

  • ½ bunch asparagus
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 slices prosciutto
  • 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
  • Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Separate the asparagus into four equal portions and dress with olive oil, grated parmesan, and salt and pepper. Wrap each bunch of asparagus with a slice of the prosciutto and bake for 8-10 minutes, until the asparagus is softened and the prosciutto is crispy.
  2. In a medium sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the raw shrimp. Sauté for 2 minutes on each side. Add the shallots and roasted garlic. Continue to cook all ingredients until the shrimp become red in color and the center is no longer opaque.
  3. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and allow to cook for 1 minute. Add the butter to the pan by swirling it into the remaining liquid, creating a pan sauce. Finish the sauce with the juice and zest of the lemon, Italian parsley, salt, and pepper.
  4. Top the cooked shrimp and sauce over top of the asparagus and serve. Tip: Roasted garlic will give your scampi sauce a smoother flavor, but raw garlic can be used if you don’t have time to roast the garlic. The shrimp can also be used as a sauce for pasta by adding stock and more butter.

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Hunter Lu
Hunter Lu
Contributor
Hunter Lu is a New York-based food and features writer, NYU graduate, and Iraq veteran. His fiction has appeared in The Line…
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