Easy shrimp scampi without wine, add pasta, and you'll have dinner in less than 30 minutes. A shrimp linguine recipe covered with lemon butter sauce that will make everyone lick their plates.
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Shrimp Scampi Without Wine is Even Better
While wine is a staple in scampi sauce, it’s definitely not a necessity for a great sauce. The main job of wine in scampi is to provide acidity that cuts through the butter and olive oil so the dish doesn't feel heavy or greasy. Because lemon is actually more acidic than wine, you usually find that a no-wine scampi tastes even brighter and more refreshing.
By making the shrimp scampi no wine version, you actually let the natural sweetness of the shrimp stand out more, and the sauce is more kid-friendly and suitable for those who avoid alcohol.
Ingredients
- Pasta, while Linguine is the most common, you can make this recipe with any pasta you like. When my kids were younger, I used to make this recipe with one pound of pasta. Now they want more protein, so I make it with about ¾ of a pound.
- Butter and olive oil to cook the shrimp and make the sauce.
- Garlic, you'll need a large amount (4-6 cloves), and please avoid the pre-minced garlic. Fresh is a key.
- Large Shrimp, peeled and deveined.
- Shrimp or Chicken Stock.
- Large Lemon, juiced and zested.
- Fresh Parsley.
- Optional Red Pepper Flakes
- Salt and Black Pepper
Shrimp Scampi Without Wine
Ingredients
- 1 lb linguine pasta
- ¼ cup butter divided
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons garlic minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup chicken or shrimp stock Check notes for how to make shrimp stock
- ½ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- Lemon zest From one lemon, about a heaped teaspoon
- 2 lb large shrimp peeled and divined
Optional:
- Red chili flakes
- Parmesan Cheese for serving
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente (usually 1–2 minutes less than the package says). Before draining, scoop out 1 cup of the starchy pasta water and set it aside. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- Pat the Shrimp dry to ensure proper cooking.
- In a very wide skillet, melt 2 tablespoon of the butter with the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook for about 90 seconds until most of the shrimp are just turning pink.
- Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes if using. Sauté for about 60 seconds until fragrant.
- Reduce heat to medium. Pour in your lemon juice, lemon zest, and stock. Add about half a cup of that reserved pasta water. Let it simmer and bubble for 2 minutes to reduce slightly and thicken.
- Mix in chopped parsley, salt, and pepper, and check the seasoning.
- If the sauce is too watery for your liking, stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of cubed cold butter.
- Add cooked pasta to the pot, toss everything together for 1–2 minutes over medium heat. If it looks too dry, add a splash more pasta water.
- Serve garnished with more parsley, red pepper flakes, and parmesan cheese if desired.
Video
Notes
- Don’t discard the shells! Create a rapid shrimp stock by submerging them in ½ cup of water and microwaving for 2 minutes. Strain the liquid and add it to your sauce for a concentrated, savory boost.
- For the best texture, I recommend tossing the pasta with the sauce immediately before serving. Pasta is highly absorbent; if it sits too long, it will soak up the sauce, resulting in a drier dish rather than a silky, glossy finish.
- If you find the sauce is still too thin once you've combined everything, add a small handful of finely grated Parmesan cheese. While not strictly traditional for scampi, the cheese acts as a binder with the pasta water to create a glossy, "plate-licking" glaze.
- Zest the lemon before you juice it. The zest provides a deep citrus aroma that mimics the complexity of wine, while the juice provides the necessary acidity.
Nutrition
How to make Shrimp Scampi Without Wine
1- Start by heating a generous amount of butter and olive oil in a pan then add shrimp and cook until most not all of them turn pink.
Add the garlic, and red pepper flakes if using, and stir to saute for about a minute or until fragrant.
2- Reduce heat and add stock, lemon juice, zest, pasta water, then mix in parsley and salt, and pepper. Taste to adjust seasoning.
3- Stir in cooked pasta, turn heat off and mix pasta well with the rest of ingredients.
FAQs
Make sure to pat your thawed shrimp dry with paper towels really well. To fix a watery sauce now, remove the shrimp and simmer the liquid on high for 2 minutes to reduce it, then whisk in a tablespoon of cold butter to bind it all together.
While you can, it isn't recommended for scampi. Pre-cooked shrimp often become rubbery when reheated in the sauce. If you must use them, add them at the very final step just to warm them through and do not sauté them with the garlic.
This happens when the pasta sits too long after draining. Time your pasta to finish right as your sauce is ready. If it’s done early, toss it with a tiny drizzle of olive oil to keep the strands separate while you finish the shrimp.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Because shrimp is delicate, it is best enjoyed sooner rather than later. To reheat: place leftovers in a skillet over low heat. Add a splash of water, broth, or a small knob of butter to loosen the sauce back up. Heat just until the shrimp are warm to avoid overcooking them. Or microwave on 30-second intervals at 50% power, stirring in between.
You can freeze the cooked shrimp and sauce for up to 1 month, but we do not recommend freezing the pasta. Cooked pasta often becomes mushy and loses its texture when thawed.
More No Wine Recipes
- Chicken Francese Without Wine.
- No Alcohol Tiramisu.
- Olive Garden Chicken Scampi.
- Baked Shrimp Scampi (Low Carb).
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Jacey
This was really good and made a wonderful family meal.
Tyanne
Good recipe! Great for lunch with leftover noodles.
S
This recipe is still getting 5 stars in 2024. Super, super tasty.
Tina L
Halved this recipe and used only a half lemon juiced and did the recommended shrimp shells to make broth. Also, added some chicken broth and it was absolutely delicious!! Will make again. Thank you!
Nancy
Very tasty!
6KidsMom
Excellent substitute when you're out of wine. Great flavor, but don't use too much lemon. 1/3 cup overpowered the other flavors. I added 1/4 cup of chicken broth and the flavors smoothed out nicely. Red pepper flakes are a must!
Emma
No Wine Shrimp Scampi is delicious! I have cooked it twice and both times YUMMY! I would like for the sauce to be thicker. I have used the tips but the thickness did not change. Any other ideas?
Amira
Thanks Emma for your feedback, maybe try to dissolve a teaspoon of cornstarch in a little bit of water or shrimp stock and pour them over, this should thicken it more.
Shae
Try adding in some fresh Parmesan cheese
Danny Jeffries
I made times three for about 60 shrimp, no tails deveined and they turned out very well. I added 16 tablespoons of butter and then the rest of my ingredients and that was a very good meal. Next time I’m gonna use pasta and make a good dinner with toast/garlic bread, and sweet tea
Elizabeth
To thicken any sauce, first, in a small bowl, mix a teaspoon of corn starch with a little cool water until it forms a watery blend. Never add hot water. Then add to the sauce and stir. The consistency of the sauce will thicken. Enjoy!
Bonita Lemon
You can use a cornstarch slurry to thicken it up
Ria
Full nutrition Would be very helpful and appreciated
Lisa F.
Made this tonight and was absolutely delicious. My husband said “ this is the best scampi sauce I’ve ever had” and he is hard to please.This has become my go to dinner. Thank you.
Andrea
It was somewhat bland and I could definitely tell something was missing. It wasn't bad though and at least my younger kid ate it since he isn't big on spices anyway. I ended up adding a little parmesan cheese to mine to enhance the flavor a bit. Overall it was ok and at least it was fast.
Andrea
On the plus I forgot to mention that I had never heard of shrimp stock but was very surprised at how it turned out. I think it helped with the flavor some.
Katie
Very soupy and bland. Followed recipe exactly. Not sure what went wrong.
Elizabeth
To add flavor and beautiful color, add paprika. Enjoy!
Bonnie
I made this for my family and guest and we all really liked it! It was actually my first time cooking shrimp myself. Thank you for the recipe and the tip about making shrimp stock! 🙂
Amira
Thanks Bonnie for the feedback, happy you liked it.
Dee
Made this tonight for my husband and I....OMG! We loved it. Saved it so I can make it again. Thank you for sharing this
Amira
Thank you so much Dee, glad you liked it.
Jordan
I love this recipe and so does my family! Including picky toddlers I've also tweaked it a few times and have yet to get a fail. Thank you!
Elizabeth Capwell
I made this shrimp scampi tonight for my husband and me, and we loved it. Your timing directions were spot on for perfectly cooked shrimp - thank you! I had a little trouble making shrimp stock though
; When I cooked shrimp shells in water in the microwave for 2 minutes, most of the liquid boiled over onto the glass turntable. I poured liquid back into the glass measuring cup, added water to the previous level and cooked it for one minute. Strained shrimp stock added a lot more flavor. I also remembered a wonderful scampi I ate years ago, prepared by a man from Greece with halved cherry tomatoes and feta cheese. I didn’t have feta, but I had crumbled goat cheese. So I added that at the last minute along with halved grape tomatoes. The goat cheese melted and made the sauce creamy. The result was the most delicious scampi we ever ate. Please feel free to add my feta/goat cheese and/or halved cherry or grape tomato variations to your published recipe if you like them. Thank you again!
Amira
Thank you so much Elizabeth for sharing your experience with us. You bet, I need to try this cheese trick sounds so delicious and the grape tomatoes .. I love it. Thank you again for your feedback.
Debbie
I'm not a fan of cooking with wine but I figured there had to be a way to make great scampi without the wine and this was perfect!. I made it exactly according to the directions and used the pasta water and chicken stock. The only item I didn't use was lemon zest and you really didn't need it. The fresh lemon juice and fresh parsley made it perfectly wonderful.
I am heading out to buy the ingredients because we are having it again for dinner tonight. Along with garlic bread, it is the best shrimp scampi I have ever tasted let alone made myself.
Thank you so much for the great recipe that I will be making many more times.
Amira
Thank you so much Debbie for sharing your experience. I am happy you liked it.. and oh the garlic bread is so much needed.
Gail Marcynuk
Just made it and we loved! I will definitely make this dish again and again!
Amira
Oh, I am so happy you liked it. Thank you for the feedback.
Pauline
I made it. It was delicious. My daughter-in-law and I loved it. We'll make it again.
Amira
Pauline, I am so glad you liked it. Thanks for the feedback.
Jane Rausch
We made your recipe for Empanadas the day after you posted it this week and we wanted to let you know that we loved it!! The seasonings were easy and we just happened to have two pie shells in the freezer! Had to work the bits of dough to make enough for the two of us for dinner! I cannot recall the last time, if ever, that we enjoyed ptting these together, my husband made the meet and I wrangled with the pastery so very much that I'm writing your how well they turned out so a big THANK YOU from our house!! 5 star review!!
Jenn
I made it and it was delicious. My Husband loved it. The only thing I added was more garlic and Parmesan Cheese. It was quite simple to make and I'll definitely be making it again.
Amira
Jenn, Thank you for sharing your experience with us, I am happy you liked it.
Deb
Enjoyed this recipe a lot. I added 2 T noncom flour to thicken the sauce a little. Served it over rice rather than pasta.
Amira
Thanks Deb for your feedback, happy you liked the recipe.
Angela Millard
I made a variation of this recipe and it was delicious. I upped the garlic by a lot, used twice the butter, and included a pound of mussels with the shrimp. I also let the noodles soak up the sauce for ten minutes before serving. Would make again.
Amira
Loved your version Angela, thank you so much for trying the recipe and for your twist.. I am sure many would love it as well.
Holly
Hello, just cooked your shrimp. My husband and two boys loved it. We rolled corn on the cob in the sauce instead of pasta. The sauce is that good. I will make this again and again.
Amira
Holly, what a great idea this is.. I have a kid who is obsessed with corn on the cob so this would work great for him. Thank you.
Richard Nelson
Made the other day. good.. the ingredients are lopsided though had to many noodles ...also needs more spice .so I added accordingly
Amira
Richard, thank you for trying the recipe and yes please adjust to your own liking... we all have different taste and different appetite as well.
Denise Roo
Excellent recipe. I will add more garlic next time, we can handle more :).
Amira
I’m so glad you loved it Denise!!!
Marks Hoff.
Made this for my wife yesterday it was very easy and quick. She liked it and we will be making this again for sure.
Amira
Sounds fabulous Marks! I am happy you both liked it.
Kalley
This recipe was fantastic! I just fed my in-laws, my husband, and my three year old boy. They all loved it! There were no leftovers! I actually caught my husband licking the bottom of the pan to get the rest of that buttery sauce. It was such an easy recipe to follow, too. Thanks for the recipe and for 6 happy tummies! 🙂
Amira
Kalley, make them 7 happy persons because I am very happy that you all liked the recipe. Thank you so much for rating the recipe and for the feedback.
Ashlee Walker
Yum!! The whole pan was gone in one sitting. Family favorite.
Amira
Ashlee, thank you for trying this recipe. I am glad you liked it.
Owen Gorman
I'm on a 100 day alcohol free challenge and this recipe was AMAZING. Considering my basic cooking level, this was so easy to put together.
Amira
Owen, than you so much for your feedback. I am happy that you liked the recipe and it helped you in your challenge.