If you’re looking for a dinner that feels a little fancy but is surprisingly easy to make, add this Shrimp Scampi with Pasta to your menu. Juicy shrimp and tender pasta tossed in a vibrant lemon garlic butter sauce. The whole meal comes together in one pan in about 30 minutes.
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Shrimp Scampi with Pasta Video
Watch the Shrimp Scampi Pasta video tutorial to see just how easy it is. It’s such a wholesome dinner, you’ll make this shrimp scampi pasta on repeat.
Shrimp Scampi Pasta Recipe
This recipe is as simple as combining classic Shrimp Scampi with pasta and veggies to turn it into a one-pan dinner. Just like our Creamy Shrimp Pasta, this is perfect for busy weeknights because it’s easy, takes less than 30 minutes, and tastes like fine dining.
Tossing shrimp scampi with pasta is our favorite way to serve scampi. The sauce is so good, I even have a Chicken Scampi Recipe if you want to switch out the protein.
Shrimp Scampi Pasta Ingredients
- Pasta – We used spaghetti, but you can use just about any pasta here; linguini, penne, angel hair, etc. Homemade Pasta makes it extra special.
- Asparagus – For the freshest asparagus, select a vibrant green color with ends that are tight. See my tips below on the quickest and easiest way to trim the ends of your asparagus.
- Shrimp – Look for raw shrimp (preferably wild caught) that are large 21-30 count. A different size will work, but adjust the cooking time accordingly. Tail on or off will work.
- Butter and olive oil – when combined, the butter is less likely to burn since olive oil has a higher smoke point.
- Garlic – for the best flavor, use fresh garlic cloves and not pre-minced.
- Lemon juice, lemon zest, and parsley – add vibrant and fresh flavor to the sauce. Be sure to zest the lemon before juicing it.
- Parmesan cheese – add this to taste. You can either add it to the pan or pass it around the table for serving. Freshly grated will taste great. P.S. This cheese grater makes dinner feel like a night out.
Can I Substitute Cooked Shrimp?
Cooking raw shrimp gives you the best flavor, as it takes on the garlic flavors from the pan, and the bits of the shrimp in the pan add flavor to the sauce. If you have cooked shrimp on hand, be sure to fully thaw and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Add them to the pan just long enough to heat through, or they will become rubbery.
The Easiest Way to Trim Asparagus
Asparagus ends are fibrous and must be removed before cooking. The fastest way is by snapping off the ends, and wherever they snap is where the fibrous part ends. You can also use a vegetable peeler to remove fibrous ends.
How to Make Shrimp Scampi with Pasta
- Cook Pasta – Boil salted water in a large pot and cook pasta until al-dente according to the package instructions.
- Cook Asparagus – In a separate large, deep pan over medium/high heat, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter. Add asparagus, season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper, and cook uncovered for 5 minutes until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Transfer asparagus to a plate.
- Sauté Shrimp – In the same hot pan, add the remaining butter and oil. Add garlic and red pepper flakes if using, and saute for 1 minute. Add shrimp in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, and saute until shrimp are pink and opaque (1 min per side). Do not overcook.
- Finish the Sauce – Turn off the heat anad add lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley, and stir to combine. Return pasta and asparagus to the pan, and toss to combine. Serve with grated parmesan.
Natasha’s Pro Tip for the Best Flavor
Be sure to turn off the heat before adding the lemon zest, juice, and parsley. For the most vibrant flavor, you don’t want to continue cooking once those ingredients are in. Think of them as a garnish.
Serve with
Since Shrimp Scampi with Pasta is a meal in itself, you don’t need much to make this a special dinner. We pair it with these simple sides:
P.S. If you love this Shrimp Scampi with Pasta as much as I do, you won’t want to miss my top 3 shrimp recipes: Shrimp Tacos (with the best sauce), Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta, and Shrimp Fried Rice.
Shrimp Scampi with Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb spaghetti, homemade pasta, or your pasta of choice
- 1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2″ pieces
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 1/2 Tbsp)
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or added to taste
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined (16-20 or 21-25 count)
- 1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt , divided, plus more for cooking pasta
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, ground, or to taste
- 1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, from 1 large or 2 small lemons
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- freshly grated parmesan, to serve
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 Tbsp salt and cook pasta according to package instructions until Al'dente (meanwhile, continue with recipe). Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain pasta, return to the pot, and cover to keep warm.
- Place a large, deep pan over medium/high heat and add
1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter. Add asparagus, season lightly with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper, and cook uncovered for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan. - In the same hot skillet, add 2 Tbsp oil and 2 Tbsp butter. Once the butter is melted, add minced garlic and red pepper flakes if using, and sautee, stirring frequently for 1 minute. Add shrimp in a single layer and season with 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Saute until shrimp are pink and not translucent (about 1 minute per side). Be careful not to overcook or the shrimp will be tough.
- Turn off the heat and add lemon zest, juice, and parsley, and stir to combine. Add pasta and asparagus, and toss everything to combine. If the sauce seems dry, add some of the hot pasta water. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Easy Weeknight Pasta Recipes
If you enjoyed this Shrimp Scampi Pasta recipe, you are sure to find more favorites in this list. From one pasta lover to another, these top-rated pasta recipes are a must-try:
- Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Lasagna Recipe
- Lemon Chicken Pasta
- Penne Alla Vodka
- Stuffed Shells Recipe
- Gnocchi Recipe
- Chicken Pesto Pasta
This is excellent! Making for the 2nd time tonight! I substitute minced onion for garlic as we are not fans of garlic! It is very delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome Sheila! I’m glad to hear how much you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
Hi Natasha,
How would you suggest doubling the recipe? I tried doubling everything (besides the asparagus and the shrimp), but the result was super lemony. Was wondering if you had any suggestions?
Hi Mike, I do think doubling the lemon juice without doubling everything would be a little overwhelming with lemon juice. Since you are adding the lemon juice at the end, you might just add it to taste before serving. I hope that helps!
If I were doubling I would use pasta cooking liquid for the second ⅓ cup of liquid.
I make this dish often but differ somewhat…using Fettuccine instead of spaghetti…..love this easy and delicious dish,,.
So happy you enjoyed this, Barbara!
This is so easy and so good!! My 7 years old daughter loves this meal, too! Love it!!!
I’m happy to hear you both love the recipe! Thanks for sharing your great review Keiko!
Used shelled edamame and worked out great.
Yum, that sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing your review with other readers Amy!
I made this tonight. We loved it!! I used linguine. Definitely making it on the regular
I’m happy to hear that Cindy, thanks for sharing! 🙂
Made this last night with double the shrimp and just one lemon. Next time I’ll use two lemons, but it was FABULOUS. My kids devoured it, asked for more and asked if I can make it tonight too. Even my picky mother (who has taste issues due to Alzheimer’s) ate it all! Definitely putting on the must make rotation!
Awesome! I’m glad to hear the whole family enjoys the recipe! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review Heather!
Don’t double the lemons! I tried this one time because I was doubling the noodles. It made everything way too lemony.
I’ve made this twice because my picky eater daughter loves it. Do you have nutrition information for this recipe?
I’m happy to hear that! We are working on adding nutrition labels and metric measurements on all of our recipes. It’s a slow process since it is one recipe at a time. Until all of the recipes are updated, check out this nutrition analyzer – you can plug in the ingredients from any recipe, select the serving size and it will give you nutritional info, calories, etc. I hope that is helpful to you!
I just made this recipe tonight, it was phenomenal! I love your website, a lot of simple and good recipes!!
Yanyan
I’m glad you love the recipe as much as I do! Thanks for following and sharing your wonderful review Yanyan!
I made this recipe yesterday. I found it very easy and absolutely delicious! I doubled the ingredients and have leftovers. I am planning on adding more asparagus!
I’m glad you enjoy the recipe Bill! Thanks for sharing your excellent review!
That is exactly what I’m cooking tonight, we had this recipe for at least 4 years now, the exact one, taken from “Tasty” – The only change I do in it, I use Angel Hair pasta… Bonne Appetite
I’m glad you enjoy the recipe Jean, thanks for sharing!
Amazing, and easy to make!
I’m glad you love it Irene! Thanks for sharing!
Loooks Yummy Natasha! I dont cook usually but this has motivated me. Thanks Trevor
I hope you love it Trevor, please let me know what you think when you decide to try it!
This was an excellent recipe Natasha–so easy and so flavorful! The acidity of the lemon was just scrumptious. Thank you for a perfect dinner!
My pleasure Sydney! I’m glad to hear you enjoy the recipe as much as I do. Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
Mmmmmm!!!! Made this for my sweetie as a Valentine surprise and he loved it! I used angel hair and it turned out delish! Winner!
I’m glad to hear you both love the recipe! Thanks for sharing your great review Lisette!
Made this tonight for my family. WOW! It was so easy to make and tasted incredible. Thanks for sharing this, Natasha! We will definitely make this again!
You’re welcome Nancy! I’m glad to hear that everyone enjoys the recipe so much. Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!
Making this for our Valentine’s dinner. Let you know how it turns out!
I hope you love it! Please do Debbie!
Wow this was really good and very simple. I did use Penna pasta instead and it worked perfect.
I’m glad you enjoy the recipe Lisa! Thanks for sharing your great review!
I made this for the second time tonight for dinner. It is soooo good! My family and friends loved it too! I wouldn’t change a thing.
I’m glad the recipe is a HIT! Thanks for sharing your great review Diane!
do you happen to have a breakdown of the calories, etc?
Due to time constraints, I don’t typically include nutritional info, but check out this nutrition analyzer – you can plug in the ingredients from any recipe, select the serving size and it will give you nutritional info, calories, etc. I hope that is helpful to you Sheryl!
I have made this recipe and it is an exceptionally good recipe. If you are worried about calories you are likely familiar with how to calculate them yourself, serving 4 people. It is a well balanced meal and consuming it will not affect your health in any negative manner. Just make it and enjoy it. If you are worried ’bout it having too many calories, just eat a smaller portion and that will take care of your worries. Natasha did offer you a site to check out the calories.
I’m sorry, you lost me when you needlessly put oil in the pasta water. That does nothing but coat the pasta which defeats the whole purpose of salting the water.
Otherwise, the recipe looks pretty decent and I’ll probably give it a try and hopefully tack on another star.