Spicy Shrimp Scampi Pasta
This easy shrimp scampi pasta is loaded with juicy shrimp, garlic, lemon, and buttery goodness. It’s bright, flavorful, and comes together in no time!
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
Shrimp:
- 1 tsp olive oil to fry the shrimp
- 1/2 tsp olive oil for the shrimp marinade
- 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
Everything else you'll need:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 400 grams spaghetti
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
- 1/2 cup butter salted
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 3/4 cup parmigiano reggiano finely grated
- 1 heaping tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 3/4 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 tbsp red pepper flakes optional, you can also use 3/4 tbsp if you want it less spicy
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the spaghetti until al dente, drain, and set aside until ready to use. Be sure to save at least 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water.
- Prepare your shrimp.To a medium sized bowl add the shrimp along with all of the other shrimp ingredients and mix well.
- Let the shrimp marinade while you chop and prepare the garlic, parmigiano-reggiano, lemon zest, and parsley.Set aside until ready to use.
- To a large frying pan, add the oil to fry the shrimp and set to medium/high heat.Pan fry the shrimp for 1-2 minutes per side, just until bright pink and no longer translucent.
- Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
- To the same pan set to low/medium heat add the butter and 2 tbsp of olive oil.Once melted, add the garlic and red pepper flakes and let fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, and using a whisk continuously stir until well combined, about 1 minute.
- Return the shrimp to the pan, along with the lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, cooked pasta, knob of butter and parmigiano-reggiano.Sammy's tip: a knob of butter is about 1 tbsp of butter and helps to add a bit of creaminess to the pasta.
- Begin by gently mixing together on low heat adding in 1/4 cup of pasta water at a time until everything is well combined and the sauce begins to slightly thicken.You may need to use up to 1/2 cup of pasta water.
- Serve right away!
Nutrition
Calories: 846kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 256mg | Sodium: 818mg | Potassium: 713mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2601IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 362mg | Iron: 3mg
