Description
This copycat Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi recipe features tender shrimp cooked in a rich, buttery scampi sauce combined with sautéed bell peppers and red onions, served over delicate angel hair pasta. It’s a flavorful, restaurant-style dish you can easily prepare at home with fresh ingredients and vibrant flavors.
Ingredients
Seafood and Pasta
- 1 pound shrimp, size of choice
- 12 ounces angel hair pasta
- Salt to taste
Vegetables
- ½ red bell pepper, cut into strips
- ½ yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
- ½ green bell pepper, cut into strips
- ½ medium red onion, sliced
For Frying
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
Scampi Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup yellow onion, diced
- 2 Tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1 cup white wine (chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, or pinot grigio recommended)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (approximately 1 large lemon)
- 1 Tablespoon dried parsley
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ pound unsalted butter (8 tablespoons, 1 stick)
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Heat a large pot of salted water over high heat until boiling. Add the angel hair pasta and cook until just shy of al dente, as it will finish cooking later in the sauce. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining, then set the pasta aside.
- Prepare the Scampi Sauce Base: While the pasta water is heating, melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add diced yellow onion and minced garlic and cook until softened but not browned, about 3 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking.
- Add Liquids and Simmer: Pour in the white wine and scrape up any flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add chicken stock, lemon juice, dried parsley, and red pepper flakes, then simmer the mixture for 5 minutes to blend flavors.
- Finish the Sauce: Remove the sauce from heat and whisk in the remaining 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter until fully incorporated and smooth. Set the sauce aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large pot or skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the sliced bell peppers and red onion strips and cook for 3-5 minutes until they just start to soften but retain some crispness.
- Cook the Shrimp in Sauce: Add the prepared scampi sauce to the pot with the vegetables. Then add the shrimp and cook over medium heat until shrimp turn pink, curl slightly, and the sides are opaque white — usually a few minutes depending on shrimp size. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Return the cooked angel hair pasta to the pot with shrimp and sauce. Gently toss everything together to coat the pasta evenly, taking care not to break the delicate noodles. Use reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce and achieve desired consistency.
- Serve: Transfer the shrimp scampi pasta to a large serving dish or plate individual portions and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- This recipe has multiple components but many steps can be done concurrently to save time.
- You can prepare the scampi sauce ahead of time and reheat it for a quicker meal.
- Choose white wines like chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, or pinot grigio for best flavor, and avoid sweet wines.
- Be gentle when tossing the angel hair pasta with the sauce to prevent the pasta from breaking.
