This recipe for Olive Garden shrimp scampi is just as good - dare I say better - than the real deal. It combines delicate angel hair pasta with tender shrimp in a rich buttery sauce filled with perfectly cooked asparagus and ripe cherry tomatoes. And the best part is, from start to finish, this recipe only takes 15 minutes to make!
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The Best Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi
I don't know about you, but Olive Garden's shrimp scampi might just be my favorite thing on their menu. I honestly could eat it every single night, so I had to whip up a copycat version.
Now, I know I'm biased, but I really think this is the best recipe you'll ever make for this classic Olive Garden menu item. I mean, from the tender shrimp and angel hair pasta to the light white wine and butter sauce, it's just so darn good! My family and I are seriously obsessed with it, and we've had it at least once a week for dinner for quite some time now.
Anyway, in addition to tasting incredible, this shrimp scampi recipe also happens to be so easy to make. You basically cook the angel hair pasta and then sauté the veggies and shrimp in the same skillet you build your scampi sauce in. Once everything gets tossed together, all that's missing is a bottle of wine and some breadsticks on the side!
Speaking of breadsticks, if you're wondering what to serve with shrimp scampi, I personally love making these Olive Garden breadsticks for a classic restaurant experience. Oh, and I'll whip up this Olive Garden tiramisu to complete the meal.
Ingredients
One of the things I love most about this Olive Garden shrimp scampi recipe is how simple the ingredients are. You probably have a few of them on hand, and if not, you can easily get them from your nearest grocery store.
Anyway, check out what you'll need to make this shrimp scampi recipe:
- 4oz. angel hair pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup sweet onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoon butter
- ½ bunch of asparagus, trimmed
- 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
- ⅓ cup white wine
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoon parsley, chopped
- 0.5lb. raw shrimp peeled and deveined
- Freshly grated parmesan to serve with
Pretty simple, right?
By the way, if you like your shrimp scampi to be on the spicier side, you can always add a dash of red pepper flakes. Just remember to go easy on them as they get hotter as the dish cooks.
Also, if you'd rather skip the white wine in the sauce, then you can swap it for chicken broth or vegetable broth. As for additional ingredients, I like to keep it simple and just add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice right before serving.
Oh, and if you have any leftover angel hair pasta, then you can use it to make this Olive Garden chicken scampi recipe next! It's another one of my favorite Olive Garden copycat recipes and uses a bunch of the ingredients from this shrimp pasta recipe, so you'll definitely want to try it sometime.
How To Make Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi
As I mentioned earlier, making this copycat Olive Garden shrimp scampi recipe is about as easy as it gets. After all, how can you beat a recipe that comes together in 15 minutes with just a few simple steps?
Anyway, let's stop wasting time and get cooking!
Step 1: Cook The Pasta
First, you'll need to cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
After it cooks, make sure to reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water before draining the cooked pasta. You'll need it to make the delicious sauce later on.
Step 2: Cook The Veggies And Shrimp
While the pasta is cooking, you can heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, go ahead and add the onion to it and cook while frequently stirring for about 3 minutes. Then you can add the garlic and cook it for about 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
Next, you can add the butter, tomatoes, and asparagus to the same skillet. Follow that by pouring the white wine in and adding a dash of salt and pepper. Now let this mixture simmer until the sauce is reduced by half.
As soon as it reduces, you can place the shrimp in the skillet and let them cook for 2 minutes or until pink on both sides.
Step 3: Complete The Pasta Dish
Once the shrimp have finished cooking, you'll want to add the reserved pasta water to the skillet, followed by the cooked pasta. Then you can give the pasta a good stir to make sure it fully soaks up the sauce.
Finally, serve the shrimp scampi warm with some fresh chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese on top.
Enjoy!
How To Store Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi
This recipe for Olive Garden's shrimp scampi makes about 2 servings, so it's perfect for a cozy date night or just to enjoy all by yourself.
With that said, it's pretty easy to make a double or triple batch of this recipe if you're looking to serve it at a family dinner. And don't worry if you do end up with extra because this dish makes for great leftovers!
Speaking of leftovers, you can store them by transferring the cooked shrimp scampi to an airtight container, and it'll last in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days. And if you want to keep it for longer, either freeze it in a freezer-safe bag or an airtight container for up to 3 months.
How To Reheat Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi
As good as this dish is cold, it's even better reheated!
So, to reheat your leftover shrimp scampi, I suggest using the skillet. Just transfer the pasta back to a skillet set over medium heat and let everything simmer for a few minutes, stirring frequently until it reaches your desired temperature.
FAQs About This Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi Recipe
What is a scampi sauce made of?
A scampi sauce is traditionally made of butter, olive oil, white wine, garlic, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice. You can adjust the sauce however you want, such as leaving out the red pepper flakes if you don't like spice.
Is shrimp alfredo and shrimp scampi the same thing?
Shrimp alfredo and shrimp scampi have some similar ingredients, but they're very different. Shrimp alfredo is made with fettuccini noodles in a thick creamy garlic sauce, whereas shrimp scampi is made with angel hair pasta in a light butter and white wine sauce.
Wrapping It Up
Well, that's how to make Olive Garden shrimp scampi!
Between the crazy flavorful sauce, tender pasta, veggies, and shrimp, there are just so many elements to love about this recipe. It makes for the perfect elegant weeknight dinner that's actually really quick and easy to make from scratch.
Everyone is seriously guaranteed to love it, and they'll think you spent all day in the kitchen putting it together. In fact, you'll be getting comments that it's even better than the restaurant!
Anyway, I hope you love this copycat Olive Garden shrimp scampi recipe as much as I/we do.
If you give it a try, be sure to leave a comment below and tell us all about it!
More Olive Garden Copycat Recipes
If this recipe has you craving even more copycat Olive Garden recipes, we have a bunch on the blog that you can check out next!
Here are some reader favorites:
- Lasagna fritta
- Olive Garden shrimp alfredo
- Olive Garden chicken parmigiana
- Olive Garden chicken alfredo
- Olive Garden chicken marsala
- Olive Garden chicken pasta
- Olive Garden giant cheese stuffed shells
Oh, and make sure to follow us on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram! We post new delicious recipes every single week.
EASY Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi Recipe (Just 15 Minutes To Make)
This recipe for Olive Garden shrimp scampi is just as good - dare I say better - than the real deal. It combines delicate angel hair pasta with tender shrimp in a rich buttery sauce filled with perfectly cooked asparagus and ripe cherry tomatoes. And the best part is from start to finish, this recipe only takes 15 minutes to make!
Ingredients
- 4oz. angel hair pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup sweet onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoon butter
- ½ bunch of asparagus, trimmed
- 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
- ⅓ cup white wine
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoon parsley, chopped
- 0.5lb. raw shrimps, peeled and deveined
- Freshly grated parmesan to serve with
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Heal olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add onion and cook, stirring for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add butter, tomatoes, and asparagus. Pour in the wine and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook until the sauce is reduced by half.
- Place the shrimp into the skillet and cook them for 2 minutes.
- Add reserved pasta water and add cooked pasta.
- Give it a good stir until the pasta soaks up the sauce.
- Serve warm, garnished with chopped parsley and freshly grated parmesan.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 519Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 23g
Jill z
This far exceeded my husband and I’s expectations.
Georgina
I am an Olive Garden fiend and this recipe for their scampi did not disappoint. I am without a doubt going to make again.
Janet Clement
I love OG and I loved this!
Megan Hoaker
This is how a shrimp scampi should be done.
Tammy
It was no joke the tastiest scampi that I have tried in my life.
Nigel
Delicious with broccoli in it too.
Irene
We're obsessed with this dish. Making it again tomorrow!
Carol
I just made this shrimp scampi with angel hair pasta Olive Garden copycat recipe!!! On a scale of 1 to 10 my husband and I both give it an 11. Honestly... better than Olive Garden!!!
Brendan Cunningham
We're so happy you both enjoyed it!!
Greg
I made this for Mother's Day lunch. My wife says it's one of the two BEST meals she's ever had in her life!!! The breadsticks complemented it perfectly!!!! Thanks for this delicious recipe!!!
Brendan Cunningham
That's amazing to hear!! We're so happy it was a success!