Lemony Baked Shrimp Scampi

Bright and zesty Lemony Baked Shrimp Scampi makes an incredible weeknight dinner. This meal comes together quickly, it’s healthy, and loaded with lots of tender shrimp and creamy pasta.

What You’ll Love About Lemony Baked Shrimp Scampi:

Meet the very first recipe on my website that features shrimp! Okay, to be fair, my daughter does not like most fish except for my Tuna Salad and occasionally she will eat my Baked Salmon with Sweet Spiced Rub. Unless our daughter is gone or we order at a restaurant, I really don’t make shrimp all that much. I’m hoping like a lot of us as we get older, she will grow to love it like we do!

This coming fall she is off to college which means you’ll probably see a few more seafood recipes on the blog, and what better recipe to kick off the shrimp category than this Lemony Baked Shrimp Scampi. Aside from the simplicity of the oven doing most of the work, this meal is lip smacking delicious.

While this shrimp pasta bake comes out creamy and luxurious, there is zero cream. All the silkiness comes from the pasta starch while it cooks in the oven. This recipe needs nothing more than maybe a side salad or crusty bread to catch the extra sauce.

Simple Ingredients:

• Olive oil- You’ll use this to sauté the onions and garlic.
• Veggies– Onion and garlic
• Linguine pasta– A classic shrimp scampi pasta of choice.
• Chicken broth– Use a good quality chicken broth like better than bouillon roasted chicken base.
• White wine– Use a dry white wine.
• Parmesan cheese– This adds a nice salty rich flavor.
• Lemon– The zest of one lemon and the juice.
• Medium shrimp– I use frozen, thawed, peeled and deveined 31/40 count shrimp.
• Seasoning– Salt and pepper to taste.
• Fresh parsley– This is optional but adds a pop of color.

Substitutions and Variations:

1. Pasta– Spaghetti or fettuccini would be a good substitute in place of linguine. You might need to adjust the baking time.
2. White wine– If you don’t have wine or don’t want to use it, use chicken broth instead.
3. Cheese– For a cheesier pasta experience, add mozzarella cheese on top at the very end of the baking time.
4. Shrimp– If you love the idea of shrimp scampi but you’re not a big fan of shrimp, add cooked chicken the same time you would add the shrimp.

How To Make Lemony Baked Shrimp Scampi:

See full instructions in recipe card below

Step One. Preheat oven to 425℉ and prepare a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Step Two. Sauté onions and garlic in a small skillet with oil just until softened.

Step Three. Break pasta in half and add to the prepared baking dish. In a medium bowl combine chicken broth, wine, part of the parmesan cheese, lemon zest and juice, black pepper, and sautéed veggies. Pour this mixture over the uncooked pasta in the pan and stir gently.

Step Four. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes stirring half way through. Once pasta is al dente and the liquid looks more like a creamy thickened sauce, gently toss in the shrimp and sprinkle the top with remaining parmesan cheese. Place back in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until shrimp is pink and cooked through. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp. Top with fresh parsley if desired and serve right away.

Recipe Tips:

Common Questions:

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy:

• Slow Cooker Spaghetti Casserole
• Dump and Bake Caprese Chicken Casserole
• Big Mac Casserole
• Pot Sticker Noodle Bowls

Lemony Baked Shrimp Scampi

Bright and zesty Lemony Baked Shrimp Scampi makes an incredible weeknight dinner. This meal comes together quickly, it's healthy, and loaded with lots of tender shrimp and creamy pasta.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 517kcal

Equipment

• 1 small skillet
• 1 9×13-inch baking dish

Ingredients

• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, diced small
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 12 ounces uncooked linguine pasta broken in half see post for description
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 medium lemon
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 lb medium to large size shrimp-31/40 count, peeled and deveined I prefer to remove the tails but they can be left on
• kosher salt to taste
• fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425℉ and spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

• In a small skillet sauté onions and garlic with 1/2 tbsp olive oil until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add broken pasta to the prepared baking dish. In a medium size bowl combine chicken broth, wine, 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, zest of the lemon along with juice, and sautéed veggies. Pour this mixture over the uncooked pasta in the pan and stir gently.
• Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes stirring half way through. Once pasta is al dente and the liquid looks more like a creamy thickened sauce, gently toss in the shrimp and sprinkle the top with the remaining parmesan cheese. Place back in the oven uncovered for 10-12 minutes or until shrimp is pink and cooked through. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp. Top with fresh parsley if desired and serve right away.

Notes

Recipe Tips-

 

• Make sure to use a medium to larger size shrimp for this recipe-31-40/count. Cook just until the shrimp turn pink otherwise they will be tough and chewy.
• For super fast prep purchase shrimp that has been peeled and deveined.

 

Common Questions-

 

Can I add the onions and garlic raw to the chicken broth mixture?

You can certainly add the veggies raw and skip pre-cooking the veggies, but I personally find that sautéing them adds depth of flavor to the dish and it only takes a few extra minutes.

Why don’t I have a lot of sauce with my pasta and shrimp after it bakes?

This dish is not supposed to have a heavy sauce like alfredo. A subtle creaminess so each bite is velvety and delicious.

What if my pasta is looking dry before adding the shrimp?

The sauce in the pan should be thicker and creamier right before adding the shrimp. If you don’t see any creaminess, add 1/4-1/2 cup chicken broth and stir.

How do I really know if the shrimp is cooked all the way through?

Shrimp is fully cooked when it’s opaque and has a slight C-shape to its tail, with a color that ranges from pink to orange depending on the variety. You shouldn’t see any grey color.

Can I make this ahead of time?

This dish should be eaten shortly after it’s baked for best results. However, it is delicious reheated for lunch the next day.

 

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be understood as an estimate rather than a guarantee. The Menu Maid makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 517kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 195mg | Sodium: 1001mg | Potassium: 631mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 109IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 265mg | Iron: 2mg

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