This copycat Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi recipe is easy to make at home. A delicious restaurant style dish made with shrimp, tomatoes, tender-crisp asparagus, angel hair pasta, all tossed in a flavorful sauce.
Shrimp scampi pasta is a classic Olive Garden recipe. Filled with butter, garlic, shrimp, and fresh vegetables this Italian dish is a great recipe for a filling but light dinner.
Ingredients needed
Angel Hair pasta – Angel hair pasta is how you will find it served at the restaurant but you could substitute with spaghetti or fettuccini.
Shrimp – Use fresh, raw shrimp that have the shell off and deveined. You can also use frozen shrimp, just make sure to thaw them before cooking.
Olive oil – Used to saute onion and garlic.
Butter – Adds a richness to the flavor of the shrimp and sauce.
White wine – You can use a dry white wine like a Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, cooking wine, or chicken broth.
Lemon juice and zest – Adds a bright, fresh flavor to the sauce.
Cream – A little cream is added to make a creamy garlic sauce.
Onion and garlic – Make sure the onion is diced small and garlic is minced.
Asparagus – I recommend trying to use thin asparagus stalks. This helps them to cook and make them easier to eat.
Tomato – Used any diced tomato you like. I like used diced cherry tomatoes.
Red pepper flakes – Adds a hint of spice and heat. If you want it spicier, add a little more.
Parmesan cheese – Finish off the dish with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan.
Salt and ground black pepper
How to make Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi
Step one: Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook the pasta. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to boiling water. While bringing water to a boil, warm a skillet over medium heat. Melt butter and add shrimp. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper.
Step two: Stir the shrimp until they turn pink. This will only take about 4 minutes. Remove the shrimp and set aside.
Step three: Add pasta to boiling water. Cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain the water.
Step four: While pasta is cooking, make the scampi sauce. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to skillet. Stir in onion and saute for about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook another minute.
Step five: Stir in white wine or chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in asparagus and lemon juice.
Step six: Add cream and more butter. Stir in shrimp, chopped tomatoes, and cooked pasta. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
Recipe tips
- Be careful not to overcook the shrimp. Cook them until they turn pink and then remove from heat.
- Don’t forget to salt the pasta water. This helps to season the pasta.
- Try finding thin stalks of asparagus. This allows them to cook faster.
- If you don’t drink a lot of white wine you can buy the individual small bottles that are typically sold in a four pack. These come in handy for cooking.
- You might want to add a little extra salt and pepper to the sauce depending on your taste.
- Don’t like shrimp? Try substituting with grilled chicken.
- Try making one of these tasty Italian desserts for a complete meal.
How to store
To store, let the dish cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
The shrimp scampi can be reheated on the stove over medium heat. I will take 3-5 minutes to reheat.
I would not recommend freezing this shrimp scampi pasta. It doesn’t hold up well in the freezer.
More easy pasta recipes
Did you make this easy Italian dish? Let me know in the comments.
Copycat Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients
- 16 ounces angel hair pasta
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined, thawed
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
- 1 cup asparagus, cut in half
- 1/8 cup lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook the pasta. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the boiling water. While bringing water to a boil, warm a skillet over medium heat. Melt butter and add shrimp. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper.
- Stir the shrimp until they turn pink. This will only take about 4 minutes. Remove the shrimp and set aside.
- Add pasta to boiling water. Cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain the water.
- While pasta is cooking, make the sauce. Add olive oil to skillet. Stir in onion and saute for about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook another minute.
- Stir in white wine or chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in asparagus and lemon juice.
- Add cream and more butter. Stir in shrimp, chopped tomatoes, and cooked pasta. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
To y D
Oil not listed in ingredients, pound of angel hair way too much resulting food was very, very dry, even though I realized what was happening I left out 1/2 the pasta and still very dry.