Vito's Shrimp Scampi Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is the sauce of shrimp scampi made of? ›

Scampi sauce.

In this garlic shrimp scampi, the sauce is made with a bit of butter, olive oil, white wine, garlic, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice.

I suggest pairing the Ina Garten shrimp scampi recipe with her chicken soup, pomegranate spritzer or her favorite rosé wine. For dessert, serve Ina Garten's Famous Chocolate Cake.

Your shrimp scampi is probably dry because the shrimp cooked too long and dried out. Shrimp go from raw to overcooked fast. Watch the shrimp as they cook, they only need about two minutes.

Add Cornstarch or Flour: Mix a slurry of cornstarch or flour with water or broth until smooth, then gradually stir it into the sauce while simmering until desired thickness is reached. Be sure to cook the sauce for a few minutes after adding the slurry to remove any raw taste of the starch.

Scampi are tiny, lobster-like crustaceans with pale pink shells (also called langoustines). Italian cooks in the United States swapped shrimp for scampi, but kept both names.

High-protein shrimp packs a lot of nutrients too, like selenium and vitamin B12, important for cognitive function and healthy immune systems. Shrimp, however, is high in cholesterol, therefore individuals with this condition should consume in moderation.

Buying Tips for Shrimp

The rule of thumb when you are buying shrimp is that you should get 1 pound of raw and unpeeled shrimp per person or, if you are buying it cooked and peeled, 1/2 -1/3 pound per person. The number of shrimp per pound will vary by the size of shrimp.

Undercook and they'll be mushy and translucent; overcook and they'll be rubbery and nearly inedible. The best way to tell when shrimp are cooked through is to look for visual cues: “Watch for the shrimp to curl and turn opaque,” says Kendra. Undercooked shrimp will be gray and translucent, with uncurled tails.

Serve hot with bread, pasta or rice: Serve as is, or with crusty bread, over pasta, or over rice (for a gluten-free version).

What is the best way to cook frozen scampi? ›

Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas mark 7. Remove all packaging and place the scampi on a preheated baking tray in the centre of the oven. Bake for 18 mins, turning halfway through cooking, until crisp and golden. Tuck in.

Notes for Shrimp Scampi Pasta (Without Wine)

The sugar + pasta water combination is a substitute for white wine. Substitute pasta water: You can substitute pasta water with heavy cream for a creamy version of Shrimp Scampi.

The best wine for shrimp scampi is a dry, crisp white wine. We reach for Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or unoaked Chardonnay. The most important thing to remember is to use something you enjoy. Our scampi recipe calls for 1/2 cup of wine, so you will have some leftover to enjoy with the shrimp.

Shrimp scampi, loosely translated, means “shrimp shrimp” in Italian. And while the shrimp may be the star of the dish, there is so much more to it. Garlic, lemon, and parsley join forces in a velvety, buttery, wine sauce to form what might be one of the most iconic Italian-American seafood dishes.

In most countries, especially Italy, scampi means the peeled tail of pretty much any kind of prawn but in the UK it refers to the meat of just one special prawn: the langoustine. Langoustine is a small lobster found in the colder waters of Scotland, Ireland and Norway.

What is Olive Garden Scampi Sauce Made Of? The main ingredients of this sauce are butter, onion, garlic, white wine, chicken stock, and herbs.

Scampi is a seafood dish that includes various preparations of certain crustaceans, especially langoustine (the Italian name which gives the dish its name), as well as shrimp or prawns. Scampi preparation styles vary regionally.