Shrimp Scampi

Before You Start

Dry prawns, hot pan, single layer. Wet or crowded prawns steam and never colour.

Cold butter, off the heat, one cube at a time.

Ninety seconds a side is not an approximation. Set a timer if you need to.

Making Shrimp Scampi

Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.

1. Put a large pan of well-salted water on to boil and start the linguine so it finishes with the sauce. Reserve 300 ml of the water before draining.

   Mark done

2. Pat the prawns very dry and season with the salt and pepper.

   Mark done

3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high until it shimmers. Add the prawns in a single layer and cook 90 seconds a side, until just pink and opaque. Lift them out onto a plate — they are not quite done and will finish later.

   Mark done

4. Drop the heat to medium, add 30 g of the butter and the garlic and chilli flakes, and cook 45 seconds until fragrant and pale gold. Do not brown the garlic.

   Mark done

5. Pour in the wine and let it bubble hard for 3 minutes, scraping the base, until reduced by half.

   Mark done Start 3 min timer

6. Add the lemon juice, then take the pan off the heat and swirl in the remaining cold butter a cube at a time until the sauce turns creamy and glossy.

   Mark done

7. Add the drained linguine and 120 ml of the pasta water and toss over a low heat for a full minute, until the sauce clings to every strand.

   Mark done

8. Return the prawns and their juices, toss for 30 seconds to warm through, then fold in the lemon zest and parsley.

   Mark done Start 30 sec timer

Something wrong or unclear in this recipe? Report a problem with this recipe.

Why It Works

Prawns cook in ninety seconds a side and turn to rubber in three minutes, so they cannot stay in the pan while a sauce reduces. Cooking them first, removing them, and returning them at the end for thirty seconds is the whole trick. The sauce itself is a butter emulsion, and the starchy pasta water is what holds it: without it, melted butter and wine separate into an oily pool the moment they stop moving.

After You've Cooked It

Best immediately — reheated prawns toughen. Refrigerated for 2 days at most.

If You're Missing Something

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.
• A dry vermouth keeps for longer than an open bottle of white wine and is the closer swap than a random white left in the fridge; for an alcohol-free version, use the same amount of stock with a squeeze of lemon.

Good With

• A cold Vermentino or Picpoul
• Grilled bread for the sauce
• A rocket salad

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Ciabatta, Focaccia Barese, Focaccia di Recco.

Shrimp Scampi Nutrition

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. The calories include 5 g of alcohol a serving, which is not part of the protein, carbohydrate or fat. How the figures are worked out.

Your notes on this recipe

Cooked this? Keep a note for next time

Your own rating out of 5

5 stars★ 4 stars★ 3 stars★ 2 stars★ 1 star★

Your note

Save note

Private to you: notes and ratings are saved in this browser only, are never sent anywhere, and other readers cannot see them.