This classic Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi Recipe is cooked with angel hair pasta and shrimp tossed into creamy sauce with added vegetables. If you’re a fan of Olive Garden like me, you’ll love making this recipe at home for a fraction of the price.
In Italian scampi refers to langoustines/Norway lobsters. “Shrimp Scampi” got its name when Italian immigrants in America couldn’t find scampi (a type of small lobster) for their traditional recipes. They used shrimp instead but kept the name, creating this classic garlic-butter dish we know today.
Let me show you how to make this flavorful Italian-American recipe at home.
Ingredients for Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi Recipe
Pasta and Shrimp
1 pound angel hair pasta (or thin spaghetti/linguine)
1 pound large shrimp (16/20 count per pound), peeled and deveined
8 tbsp (1 stick) butter, divided
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Sauce
3/4 cup dry white wine (Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio) or chicken broth
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium white onion, diced
Red pepper flakes to taste
2-3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup reserved pasta water
Vegetables and Garnish
1 bunch thin asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
2-3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped (or cherry tomatoes, halved)
Fresh parsley, chopped
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Lemon juice from 1 lemon
Equipment Needed
Large pot for pasta
Large skillet or sauté pan
Colander for draining pasta
Cutting board
Sharp knife
Measuring cups and spoons
Wooden spoon or tongs for stirring
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4
How to make Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi
Preparation
Step 1. Take large pot of salted water and bring to boil for our pasta.
Step 2. Clean and devein the shrimp
Step 3. Prepare the vegetables by cutting asparagus into 2-inch pieces, dice the onions, chop tomatoes and parsley, and mince the garlic.
Cooking instructions for olive garden shrimp scampi
Step 1. Cook the pasta
Cook pasta according to the directions mentioned on the package. Drain the pasta and toss with a small amount of olive oil to prevent sticking. Remember to keep 1/2 cup pasta water for later before draining.
Step 2. Cook the shrimp
Take 4 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat and cook shrimp until its just pink and starts curling. It should take 1-2 minutes per side.
Remove the shrimp to a plate.
Step 3. Make the sauce
In the same skillet or pan, add olive and diced onions. Sauté onions for about 2 minutes.
Then add garlic and red pepper flakes stir it for about 1-2 minutes.
Add white wine or chicken broth, bring it to boil, and reduce the heat to medium and simmer it till the wine or broth is reduced by half. It should take you about 5-8 minutes.
Step 4. Add Asparagus, and Lemon Juice
Add chopped Asparagus, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Cook until the Asparagus is crisp, should take you about 2-3 minutes.
Step 5. Stir in butter and cream
Add the remaining butter and cream should be about 4 table spoon and stir the sauce.
Step 6. Add Shrimp and Pasta
Now add the Shrimps, tomatoes and Pasta to the pan. Also add the reserved pasta water gradually while stirring a little at a time. The sauce should thicken in 3-4 minutes.
Step 7. Finishing the Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi recipe
Serve with fresh parsley, grated parmesan cheese. You can also serve with additional lemon wedges.
Serving and pairing ideas for olive garden recipe for shrimp scampi
Even though this Pasta is fulfilling and flavorful in-itself, pairing it with different foods can enhance your experience. Here are some of my ideas you can pair this recipe with.
Breadsticks: Olive Garden’s style authentic breadsticks are perfect to dipping into the pasta sauce. You can also try crusty bread from the bakery.
Salad with Italian dressing: Simple but very effecting serving suggestion is to pair this pasta with simple salad on the side. Made with any of you favourite green and vegetables and some Italian dressing.
White wine: You can use the same white wine that we used in cooking this recipe. Shrimp Scampi pairs well with crisp white wine.
Rice: An alternative for pasta in this recipe is rice. The sauce will remain the same, in the end, toss some boiled rice instead of pasta.
URRecipe Community Tips on Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi recipe
Don’t use frozen Shrimps directly If you are using frozen shrimps, I recommend to thaw the shrimps completely first.
Use Large Shrimps For the best flavors of this recipe use large shrimps 16-20 counts.
Don’t overcook shrimps: Shrimps are very light and its very easy to overcook them. Shrimps should just turn pink and then your remove them from the skillet.
Salt pasta water: Go generous on salting the pasta water.
Don’t break the pasta: In this authentic Italian style recipe, it’s very important that you don’t break the pasta. Angel hair pasta is very thin, so be careful.
Time pasta with sauce: You can time the pasta with the sauce and shrimps by cooking them simultaneously. This will save you some time and pasta will not get cold before putting it in the sauce.
Storage and reheating
For the best flavors I recommend that you enjoy the recipe freshly cooked. If needed, you can store the Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi in airtight containers in the refrigerator. You can store it upto 3 days.
Do not freeze it.
Reheating on stovetop is best way to keep the flavors and texture, avoid microwave if possible. While reheating you can splash some water and heat it gently to prevent rubbery shrimp.
Common Questions on Olive Garden recipe for shrimp scampi
Can I make this olive garden shrimp scampi without wine?
Yes, you can substitute with chicken broth and some extra lemon juice. You can also try seafood broth to keep the dish pescatarian-friendly.
Is shrimp scampi from olive garden spicy?
Mildly spicy. When you are making this recipe at home you can adjust the red pepper flakes to your taste.
Can I use different pasta?
Yes, you can be creative and experiment with different pasta options. If you want that authentic restaurant style olive garden shrimp scampi its recommended to use lighter pasta like angel hair or linguine.
Can I use pre-cooked shrimp?
Not recommended. Fresh raw shrimp proved better texture and flavor for this recipe.
How much is shrimp scampi at olive garden?
As of Nov 2024, price for shrimp scampi at olive garden is $27.49, in their Classic Entrées menu in New York area. Olive garden’s prices differ from location to location.
You can get the same flavor based on this copycat olive garden shrimp scampi recipe at fraction of the cost.
Does olive garden shrimp scampi have dairy?
Yes, shrimp scampi at Olive Garden contains butter, heavy whipping cream and parmesan cheese. For dairy-free version, you can substitute butter with plant-based butter, whipping cream with coconut cream or cashew cream and nutritional yeast or dairy-free parmesan alternatives for the cheese garnish. This will affect the flavors a-lot from the original olive garden style.
Olive garden shrimp scampi Nutrition information
This recipe is high in saturated fat due to butter and cream. It has good source of protein from shrimp and moderate carbs from pasta. Olive garden shrimp scampi contains essential nutrients from the vegetables and sea food.
Each serving of this Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi contains:
| Calories | 800 |
| Carbohydrates | 90g |
| Protein | 40g |
| Fat | 45g |
How many calories in olive garden shrimp scampi
Approximately 700 – 850 calories in each serving (2 scoops) of olive garden shrimp scampi recipe
How many carbs in olive garden shrimp scampi
Approximately 90 grams of carbs in single serving (2 scoops) from pasta in the recipe.
How much protein in olive garden shrimp scampi
Approximately 40 grams protein in single serving, (2 scoops) from Shrimps in this olive garden recipe for shrimp scampi.
How many fat in olive garden shrimp scampi
Approximately 45 grams of fat in the single serving (2 scoops) from the butter and heavy cream used in the recipe.
Olive Garden Recipe for Shrimp Scampi
Equipment
- 1 Large pot
- 1 Large Skillet or sauté pan
- 1 Colander for draining pasta
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- Measuring tools Cups and Sppons
- 1 Wooden Spoon or Tongs for stirring
Ingredients
Pasta and Shrimp
- 1 pound angel hair pasta or thin spaghetti/linguine
- 1 pound large shrimp 16/20 count per pound, peeled and deveined
- 8 tbsp butter divided
- 3 tbsp olive oil
Sauce
- 3/4 cup dry white wine Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio or chicken broth
- 6 garlic minced
- 1/2 medium white onion diced
- Red pepper flakes to taste
- 3 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Vegetables and Garnish
- 1 bunch Asparagus cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2-3 Roma tomatoes seeded and chopped (or cherry tomatoes, halved)
- Fresh parsley chopped
- Parmesan cheese Freshly grated
- Lemon juice from 1 lemon
Instructions
Step 1. Cook the pasta
- Cook pasta according to the directions mentioned on the package. Drain the pasta and toss with a small amount of olive oil to prevent sticking. Remember to keep 1/2 cup pasta water for later before draining.
Step 2. Cook the shrimp
- Take 4 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat and cook shrimp until its just pink and starts curling. It should take 1-2 minutes per side.
- Remove the shrimp to a plate.
Step 3. Make the sauce
- In the same skillet or pan, add olive and diced onions. Sauté onions for about 2 minutes.
- Then add garlic and red pepper flakes stir it for about 1-2 minutes.
- Add white wine or chicken broth, bring it to boil, and reduce the heat to medium and simmer it till the wine or broth is reduced by half. It should take you about 5-8 minutes.
Step 4. Add Asparagus, and Lemon Juice
- Add chopped Asparagus, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Cook until the Asparagus is crisp, should take you about 2-3 minutes.
Step 5. Stir in butter and cream
- Add the remaining butter and cream should be about 4 table spoon and stir the sauce.
Step 6. Add Shrimp and Pasta
- Now add the Shrimps, tomatoes and Pasta to the pan. Also add the reserved pasta water gradually while stirring a little at a time. The sauce should thicken in 3-4 minutes.
Step 7. Finishing the Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi recipe
- Serve with fresh parsley, grated parmesan cheese. You can also serve with additional lemon wedges.
Video
I hope you enjoyed this recipe, you can also read my Olive Garden’s alfredo dipping sauce recipe which you can enjoy with breadsticks just like this one.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions and be sure to follow URRecipe on Pinterest for a variety of delightful recipes!