Shrimp

Vito's Shrimp Scampi

by:
June 10, 2021
4.3
21 Ratings
Vito's Shrimp Scampi
Photo by Ty Mecham
  • Cook time 30 minutes
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

This recipe is one of a dozen from my father's server days: "Vito's Shrimp Scampi," which isn’t really a scampi but a roasted garlic cream sauce that blushes pink with chopped tomatoes served over linguini—simple enough to wing, and really, really good. —Max McDonough

Test Kitchen Notes

Featured in: Waiting for Tuesdays, Dad’s Day Off—& His Casino Shrimp Scampi. —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice, plus more to taste
  • 1 pound jumbo shrimp (16/20 count)
  • 1 to 2 medium, vine-ripened tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 pound linguine
  • 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan, for serving
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
Directions
  1. In a large, high-sided skillet, sauté the garlic in a little olive oil until lightly toasted. Deglaze pan with white wine. Add heavy cream and butter, and reduce by half. Off the heat, slowly add the lemon juice.
  2. In a separate pan, heat some more olive oil. Season shrimp with salt and pepper, then sauté until 80% cooked. Add tomatoes and season with a little more salt and pepper. Incorporate shrimp and tomatoes into sauce and toss.
  3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Cook linguine until al dente, drain, and toss with the sauce. Plate the pasta, making sure there's shrimp on each plate. Garnish with cheese and basil.
  4. My father suggests a light pinot noir or heavy chardonnay to accompany this dish.
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  • Smokins
    Smokins
  • Texas Ex
    Texas Ex
  • Max McDonough
    Max McDonough
  • Baker23
    Baker23

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12 Reviews

Baker23
Baker23 May 29, 2022
Found this recipe while in Rosemary Beach after purchasing some very nice Royal Red shrimp. Excellent and very easy dish. We all loved it.
 
James H.
James H. March 26, 2022
This was dinner last night and it as outstanding. Made minor adjustments. I substituted some 1/2 the white wine and lemon juice with some shrimp stock I made with the shells from the shrimp. Other then that kept everything the same and it was delish. It makes a ton of sauce btw, even when you reduce it. I saved the leftover sauce and will dipping bread this evening>
 
Max M.
Max M. March 26, 2022
Love to hear this!!
 
Joanie
Joanie February 21, 2022
Made this for Valentine’s Day and it was superb. Only had one cup of cream so used 1 cup of milk instead of running to store. It was rich and delicious! Making again tonight as my son is coming over! A must try!
 
Max M.
Max M. March 26, 2022
<3
 
Smokins
Smokins November 4, 2020
Wow. Super amazing and made very quickly. The wife and I were wondering at 5:00 what to make for dinner. A quick consult with Food 52 and ingredients on hand rendered this little gem. Frozen to slightly pink shrimp in 20 minutes was super easy. The garlic, cream and white wine (had a dash or 2 myself, thanks very much) is amazing. We used spaghetti in lieu of the linguini, no biggie. The kids chowed hard and asked for more. The wife thought I was a super chef. It’s got the vote for a regular dinner rotation on the magnitude of Taco Tuesday. Loved it. Thanks much!!!
 
Max M.
Max M. March 26, 2022
This is wonderful to hear! I'm glad you loved it.
 
Texas E.
Texas E. May 5, 2019
I had to make this after reading the wonderfully written story accompanying the recipe. The resulting dish was excellent. The lemon juice lightened up the cream sauce perfectly, and contributed to a creamy, tangy, sauce. The recipe came together quite quickly as well. Thanks for the great story and recipe.
 
Paula A.
Paula A. February 22, 2020
Hi Texas. How did you know when the shrimp was 80% done? I'm a seafood amateur in the kitchen- I'm always afraid of overcooking it.
 
Texas E.
Texas E. February 22, 2020
I'm certainly not a trained chef, but a good guess is when the shrimp begin to curl up and turn pink.
If you find they are underdone when the dish is finished, you Can just leave them on the heat a bit more after you add the pasta. Good luck!
 
Paula A.
Paula A. February 23, 2020
Thanks. :)
 
Max M.
Max M. March 26, 2022
Amen :)