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15-Minute Skinny Shrimp Scampi

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15-Minute Skinny Shrimp Scampi Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

Toto, there’s no place like home.

I had a blast spending this past week with good friends in Utah. But boy, it always feels good to come home.

And after catching up on work, I decided to have an introverted night (especially after spending a week of 24/7-ness with friends) and indulge my favorite “comforts” of home. I turned on my favorite music. I lit some yummy candles. I watched (and choked up over) back-to-back episodes of Parenthood and Nashville that I had missed last week. I snuggled with my sweet little pup. And of course, I made some comfort food — pasta.

Actually, I made a new macaroni and cheese recipe that’s coming on the blog next week (get ready!). And then I edited the photos from this fabulous skinny shrimp scampi that I made last week, and then I resolved to go out and get some shrimp and make another batch this weekend. Because this shrimp scampi recipe is a total winner. And it can be made in just 15 minutes. And believe it or not, it’s also “skinny”.

Here’s the scoop. (Or maybe I should say, the “skinny”…)

15-Minute Skinny Shrimp Scampi Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

Shrimp scampi is traditionally a dish made with shrimp in a lemon-garlic-butter sauce served over pasta — heavy on the pasta, and heavy on the butter. But when I make shrimp scampi, I like to flip that equation and go heavier on the lemon and heavier on the garlic. You totally don’t need tons of butter to have tons of flavor! Nor do you need an enormous portion of pasta. In fact, if you really want to go healthy with this dish, try serving it over quinoa or spaghetti squash for a change. Or my favorite — mix in some extra spinach and veggies in place of more pasta.

But for you traditionalists who are looking for a lighter approach, here’s how I like to make skinny shrimp scampi.

15-Minute Skinny Shrimp Scampi Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

First, begin by prepping those ingredients. The main two you need are lots of fresh garlic and a pound of peeled and de-veined shrimp. You can use the shrimp with the little tails still attached if you want for “looks”, but I prefer 100% peeled.

15-Minute Skinny Shrimp Scampi Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

Start by melting 1 tablespoon of butter. Yep, that’s all we’re using in this one. Most traditional recipes call for an entire stick of butter, but I don’t think you’ll miss it.

15-Minute Skinny Shrimp Scampi Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

Then add the garlic and shallot and saute for a minute or two until fragrant.

15-Minute Skinny Shrimp Scampi Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

Add the shrimp, and immediately season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. And don’t skimp on those red pepper flakes — they add great depth of flavor.

15-Minute Skinny Shrimp Scampi Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

Once the shrimp are cooked and pink, add in some chicken stock, white wine, lemon juice and zest.

15-Minute Skinny Shrimp Scampi Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

Let it all sizzle and cook for an additional minute.

15-Minute Skinny Shrimp Scampi Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

Then remove the pan from the heat and scoop up all of that shrimp. You can either serve the shrimp on their own…15-Minute Skinny Shrimp Scampi Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

…or served over some pasta.

Either way, be sure to sprinkle the shrimp with some chopped fresh parsley and parmesan for an extra kick. The result is a light and delicious garlic-lemon shrimp pasta, minus the tablespoons upon tablespoons of butter and calories that usually come with it.

Oh, and did I mention this can be ready to go in about 15 minutes (once your pasta water is ready to go)? Yet one more reason why this falls into the comfort food category in my book. In no time, you get straight to the “comfort”. ;)

Hope you enjoy this one!

15-Minute Skinny Shrimp Scampi Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

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Skinny Shrimp Scampi

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.7 from 46 reviews
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 -6 servings 1x

Description

This skinny shrimp scampi is big on flavor, but much lower on fat and calories than the traditional version.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 ounces whole-wheat pasta noodles (I used linguine)
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled with tails removed and patted dry
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock
  • 3 tablespoon white wine
  • 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • toppings: chopped fresh parsley and (optional) freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta in a large pot of generously-salted water until al dente, according to package instructions.
  2. Meanwhile, heat butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add shallot and garlic and saute for 2 minutes, or until fragrant, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp and immediately season (sprinkle) with crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Continue sauteing the shrimp with the garlic for about 3-4 minutes, or until pink on both sides and no longer opaque.
  3. Add in the chicken stock, wine, lemon juice and lemon zest, and stir to combine. Let the mixture continue cooking for an additional minute to boil down, then remove from heat.
  4. Drain the pasta, and serve topped with the shrimp scampi. Sprinkle with desired toppings.

Here are some other “skinny” favorites on the blog:

Skinny Taco Salad | gimmesomeoven.com

Skinny Taco Salad

Skinny Orange Chicken | gimmesomeoven.com

Skinny Orange Chicken

Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo

Skinny Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup | gimmesomeoven.com

Skinny Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

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136 comments on “15-Minute Skinny Shrimp Scampi”

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  1. Hello yummy! I love shrimp scampi, but I don’t remember the last time that I have eaten it because, well, the butter…
    This lightened up version has “eat me” written alll over it…and it’s ready to go in 15? I <3 you.
    P.s the lighting in these photos = flawless.

  2. And so continues my food envy, Miss Ali. My mom is from the school of shrimp scampi hard knocks – a whole stick of butter and a whole lotta deliciousness. I’d like to lighten it up a bit and your recipe seems like the perfect solution :)

  3. So pretty and simple! Definitely saving this to share with MIL when she visits.

  4. oh, this looks yummy and simple! gotta remember to avoid your blog during my lunch!

  5. This looks so scrumptious and easy. I need more easy meals in my life right now. This is going on the menu!

  6. Perfect! I love the lemony garlic and parm going on. Gotta have some shrimp now ASAP!

  7. This looks so refreshing, Ali! Definitely a must!

  8. So gorgeous! Love how quick it is!

  9. Shrimp scampi is one of my favorite meals, love your skinny version!

  10. This is such a beautiful, bright, vibrant dish, Ali and your gorgeous photos capture it perfectly. I love that it’s a healthier version of one of my favourite pasta dishes. I’m definitely adding this to my weeknight dinner rotation!

  11. This looks delicious, Ali! It’s been PINNED!

  12. This looks so amazingly delicious! The fact that it is simple, too, is just icing on the cake! Pinning it now…

  13. Skinny Shrimp Scampi in minutes…sold! It looks delish!

  14. I love shrimp scampi! This doesn’t even look lightened up!

  15. Love the idea of using shrimp for a pasta dish, so simple and delicious.

    https://lifeandcity.tumblr.com

  16. So nice and simple and so good!

  17. Looks so good Ali! I shouldn’t have looked at this on an empty stomach :)

  18. This was amazing! Not only was this a healthier version of one of my faves, the flavor was superior to any shrimp scampi I have had. This recipe is now in full rotation on my dinner menus. Thanks, Ali!! Keep up the incredible work :)

  19. Oh, this dish looks so flavorful, I can’t wait to try it out :)

  20. Thanks for a delicious recipe! Made this for dinner tonight and it was delightful. I usually overcook the shrimp but these were perfect.

  21. This is really good! Definitely a keeper! We put it over rice with a side of broccoli (with the sauce on it) and it was awesome!

  22. Hi! This looks delicious, but my mom is allergic to alcohol even when cooked off in food. Any way I could skip that step and it still turn out okay? Or a substitute? Any tips would be appreciated!!!

  23. Im making this tonight–thanks!

  24. WAAAAY too spicy!!!!!! We used exactly what the recipe called for and it was so spicy I had to throw the rest of it out :( really disappointed :/ next time I’m not using any crushed red pepper at all

  25. This recipe is great!!! Made it tonight with some quinoa noodles and loved the flavor! 

  26. This was to spicy w the red pepper.  Maybe i let it sautee to long w the shrimp before i added the noodles? My mouth was on fire! I can tell if i had maybe added only half of the red pepper or less that was called for, it would be delecious!

    • Oh no! Sorry to hear it turned out too spicy for you Lorri! Try seasoning to taste next time, or using half the amount. I hope you like it better next time!

  27. That was very very good! 

  28. Any idea of calories, carbs, and protein counts?

    Thanks!

    • Hey Cynthia! Unfortunately, we currently aren’t publishing nutrition facts on the site. The nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. But many of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. I hope that helps!

  29. This recipe is soooo delicious! It was a big hit with my husband, and will become a regular on our menu. Thanks so much for sharing! 

  30. This recipe was fabulous! I didn’t use as much red pepper flakes as suggested based on my own tastes. I also omitted the wine to save a few more calories and served over sautéed zucchini, onions, and asparagus. I’ll make this again!

    • Thanks Renee, we’re so glad you liked this, and the zucchini, onions and asparagus sound like delicious additions to this!

  31. Excellent recipe! I gorged and the next day was down half a pound! Thanks for the recipe.

  32. I love cooking skinny versions of things, and a little kick, but this was WAY too spicy! I would recommend 1/4 tsp both pepper and red pepper flakes. I plowed through dinner with some bread to cut the spice, but that sort of defeats the purpose. :(

    • We’re sorry to hear you found this too spicy Amanda! Thanks for sharing your experience.

  33. My lips are on fire

    • We’re sorry you found this too spicy Marilyn! :( If you’re sensitive to heat, you might want to do just 1/4 tsp or 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes next time.

  34. Made this tonight and it was great, light, and different from the usual pasta and red sauce!

    1. Don’t use any pepper of any kind. I love hot/spicy food and this had a kick. My friends were unable to eat it.
    2. Have all of the ingredients pre-measured and ready to go. Shrimp cooks fast, so it will make it easier on you.
    3. Scampi is meant to be more garlicky, so I’d add another clove.

    Indulge on, readers! :)

  35. can you give the portion in your recipes just like the 21day fix program? ex. how many green, red etc.

    • Hi Betty! This recipe yields 4-6 servings. Unfortunately, we aren’t familiar with the 21 day fix program, and as far as portions and nutrition facts/amount of calories in this recipe go, we are not sure. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!

  36. Thanks for the recipe– made this tonight and I LOVED the flavor. Unfortunately I am currently stuck in the desert where the amount of available fresh seafood is basically nothing so I had to use frozen. Even when thawed, so much water cooked out that by the time I had anything resembling sauce (as opposed to shrimpy lemon-water), the shrimp was so, so over cooked…..I plan to make this again, but do the sauce without the shrimp, and then toss those in after the sauce has had time to, well, sauce.  And if I ever get back to a place that has actual seafood counters, I think the lemony sauce and pasta would be awesome topped with some skewers of giant grilled shrimp.  Sorry, I’m rambling….anyway even though this first time wasn’t totally perfect, thanks for lightening up one of my favorite guilty pleasures!

    • Hi Cari! We’re glad you enjoyed this — thanks for giving it a try! We’re sorry about the shrimp, but we think your plan to do the shrimp separately (since you’re using frozen) is a good idea.

  37. Yum! the only thing I didn’t have on hand was a shallot, so it was skipped. More garlic didn’t hurt. Hubby and I I both love spice so the heat level was perfect on this for us. We served over rice, and sauteed some snow peas quickly in the same pan once the shrimp were done and into a serving dish. Timing on cooking was spot on for 31-35 shrimp. Fresh lemon is key; that makes you miss the massive amounts of butter. Definitely do a mise-en-place as this all comes together very quickly, and have the rest of your meal ready to go as well. Will for sure make again.

    • Thanks for sharing Tina! We’re glad you and your husband enjoyed this! :)

  38. Made this for dinner tonight! Super yummy but found 1tsp of crushed red pepper was a bit too much. Will definitely make again with a bit less. Thank you for sharing :-)

    • We’re happy you enjoyed it Amanda, though we’re sorry it was a bit too spicy!

  39. I Loved This! I’d add another clove of garlic. The heat was just right for me. After a 5 mile run my body loved the carbs. Plus there’s so much flavor that my boyfriend didn’t notice that I cut back on the serving size. We are currently trying to eat healthier and lose wieght. You don’t even notice that you’ve cooked lighter. Thank you!

    • Thanks for sharing Angelique — we’re so glad you two enjoyed this! :)

  40. I referenced your post for scampi on our blog. Great Job! We just got our blog accepted into a business accelerator, incubator and we will be drawing on lots of other sites for inspiration including yours. Don’t worry, we are in the Thai niche so not a direct competitor and we will send you some loving for this inspiring post and hope you would reciprocate somewhere down the line. :)
    Great Blog!!
    https://healthythairecipes.com/healthier-thai-basil-shrimp-scampi/

    • We’re glad you were inspired by our shrimp scampi! Your Thai version looks delicious! :)

  41. This was amazing! I opted for olive oil instead of butter, and completely forgot to add the chicken broth, but it still turned out fantastic! Even my fiance loved it and he might be the world’s pickiest eater!

    • Thank you Emily — we’re glad to hear it was a hit, especially with your fiancé! :)

  42. How many calories is in a serving?

    • Hi Andrea! We’re sorry but we are unsure of the nutrition facts/amount of calories in this recipe. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!

  43. Great flavor!! How can I adjust this so that there is more sauce so there’s more to pour over the pasta?

    • Thanks, Mei — we’re glad you enjoyed it! As for more sauce, you can add more white wine, chicken stock, butter, and lemon juice until it has the amount of liquid you’d like. We hope this helps!

  44. I thought this was awesome. I have to say when I was cooking the shallot and garlic I was worried that one tbsp of butter wasn’t enough so I use two tbsp. One would’ve been just fine but at least had extra sauce for the kids. My husband and daughter said it was too spicy, but me and my son thought it was perfect!

    Thanks for the help cooking “light”!

  45. Why do these recipes have no calories showing? I will not even consider a recipe that does not give me the calories. Shame this looked really good. You are a website that boasts skinny and healthy recipes, calories should be a given.

  46. Loved this! I did modify a bit though. I added a little bit of a flour roux to make the sauce a little thicker ?

  47. Saw this and salivating already. Making it today! Looks so good. And I love spicy food so I cant wait! Gonna eat the shrimp “naked” though. Trying to cut out carbs as much as possible. Plus the shrimp is my fave part anyway!

  48. My husband and I loved this recipe! I am always looking for healthier recipes that taste good!
    I did not have shallot, so I used some Visalia onion. I did not have red pepper flakes, so I diced some red pepper and saluted it with the onion and garlic. Did not have parsley, so I tore a little bit of spinach up and sprinkled at the end. Colorful and delicious. Will definitely make this again! Thank you Ali. 
    Look forward to trying more of your recipes

  49. This turned out perfect! I didn’t have the shallots, or fresh parsley, but everything else I did what recipe called for. My spouse LOVED it! Said may be the new favorite. So happy to find this yummy recipe with less butter! Lol. Healthier & quick!






    • Thank you, Sandi, we’re so happy you and your spouse loved it! :D