20-Minute Shrimp Scampi with Garlic-Lemon Butter

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A weeknight scampi built the restaurant way: the shrimp come out of the pan the second they curl, and the butter goes in off heat so the sauce turns glossy and creamy instead of greasy. Wine, garlic and lemon reduce to a syrupy base, then cold butter is swirled in to emulsify. Twenty minutes, one skillet, and a sauce good enough to mop up with bread.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb large shrimp (21–25 count), peeled and deveined, tails off
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• kosher salt, to taste

• 12 oz linguine, or 4 thick slices crusty bread
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan (optional)

Instructions

1. If serving with pasta, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the linguine to just under al dente, about 1 minute less than the package says. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, drain, and set aside. (If serving with bread, toast or grill the slices and skip to step 2.)
2. Pat the shrimp very dry with paper towels — wet shrimp steam instead of searing. Toss with 3/4 tsp kosher salt and the black pepper.
3. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high until hot, about 2 minutes. Add the olive oil, then add the shrimp in a single layer, working in two batches if needed. Cook undisturbed 60–75 seconds, until the underside is pink and lightly golden, then flip and cook 45–60 seconds more, just until the shrimp curl into a loose C and the centers are barely opaque. Transfer to a plate immediately — they will finish cooking in the residual heat.
4. Lower the heat to medium. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes to the empty skillet and cook, stirring constantly, 45–60 seconds until the garlic is fragrant and pale gold at the edges. Do not let it brown or the sauce will taste bitter.
5. Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits. Raise the heat to medium-high and simmer briskly 3–4 minutes, until the wine is reduced by about two-thirds and lightly syrupy — you should have roughly 1/4 to 1/3 cup of liquid left. This concentration is what lets the butter emulsify.
6. Take the skillet completely off the heat and wait 20 seconds. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and 2 pieces of cold butter. Swirl the pan continuously (or stir with a fork) until the butter melts and the sauce looks creamy, not oily. Add the remaining butter 2 pieces at a time, swirling until each addition disappears before adding the next. The finished sauce should coat the back of a spoon and look pale and glossy.
7. Return the shrimp and any juices from the plate to the skillet, still off heat. Add the parsley and toss to coat. Taste and add salt or another squeeze of lemon as needed.
8. For pasta: add the drained linguine to the skillet, return to low heat for 45–60 seconds, and toss, adding reserved pasta water 2 tablespoons at a time until the sauce clings to the noodles. For bread: spoon the shrimp and all the sauce over the toast. Serve right away with lemon wedges and Parmesan if you like.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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