Jump right on in for the perfect date-night dinner that requires little effort. On a date with your sweetheart, with your best friend, or just for yourself, shrimp scampi pasta is the way to go.
This will be your go-to easy pasta dish whether it’s Valentine’s Day or not. I’m talking winter comfort dinner, springtime dinner with a side of asparagus, or a summertime patio sunset dinner.
I first posted this shrimp scampi pasta recipe back in 2016 when I was living in North Carolina. On the coast. Next to a local seafood market. Wow, that seafood was so fresh and tasty! Now I’m back on the mainland (in Minnesota, to be exact) and there is snow all around me. Glad to say, though, that this recipe works just fine whether you have shrimp from your own backyard or not.
It is, however, best when you find high-quality shrimp (but what recipe isn’t?). I recommend finding shrimp that’s wild and as sustainable as possible. Let’s start cooking! As we go, I’ll give you all the tips and tricks I know for this simple recipe.
Pasta and shrimp is a classic combination that never goes out of style. The sweet brininess of the shrimp complements the comforting carbs of the pasta perfectly. But figuring out exactly how much shrimp to use per serving can be tricky. You want to make sure each person gets plenty of shrimp without going overboard and spending more than you need to.
In this detailed guide, we’ll break down how to determine the right shrimp portion size for pasta recipes. We’ll cover factors like shrimp size, pasta shape, additional ingredients, and more. With these tips, you’ll be able to easily calculate the ideal amount of shrimp per person in pasta.
Key Factors That Determine Shrimp Portion Size
When deciding how much shrimp per person you need for pasta, there are a few key factors to consider:
Shrimp Size
The most important factor is the size of the shrimp you are using. Common shrimp sizes include:
- Colossal – 10 shrimp per pound or less
- Jumbo – 11-15 shrimp per pound
- Extra Large – 16-20 shrimp per pound
- Large – 21-25 shrimp per pound
- Medium – 26-30 shrimp per pound
- Small – 31-35 shrimp per pound
Larger shrimp like colossal jumbo and extra large will require fewer pieces per serving, while smaller shrimp will need more per person to make up the same amount of volume.
As a general guideline, 3-5 jumbo shrimp is equal to 6-8 large shrimp. Use more smaller shrimp and fewer larger ones
Pasta Shape
The shape and size of the pasta also makes a difference. Shrimp will naturally pair better with certain pasta types over others:
- Long shapes like spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, or angel hair hold the shrimp best. The long noodles wrap around the shrimp nicely.
- Short tube or shell shapes like penne, rigatoni, or elbows also pair well. The shrimp nestles perfectly into the curves of the pasta.
- Smaller pasta shapes like farfalle or orzo usually require more shrimp to balance out the proportion of pasta to protein.
- Stuffed or very large pasta shapes like ravioli or tortellini usually need fewer shrimp since the pasta itself is so filling.
Match more generous shrimp portions with smaller or delicate pasta shapes to create balance.
Other Ingredients
Factor in any other ingredients or protein sources that may be going into the pasta dish. For example:
- If you are adding vegetables like broccoli, peas, tomatoes, spinach, etc., you may be able to use slightly less shrimp since the veggies will also add volume and nutrients.
- On the other hand, a shrimp scampi recipe with just pasta, shrimp, butter, and garlic will need a full shrimp portion to stand alone.
- Recipes with multiple seafoods like shrimp and scallops or shrimp and crab may allow you to use fewer shrimp per person since the other seafood balances it out.
In general, use the higher end of the shrimp portion range if it is the sole protein and scale down slightly if you have other substantial ingredients.
Recommended Serving Size Per Person
Taking into account the factors above, here are some general recommendations for how much shrimp to use per serving in pasta:
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For appetizer-sized shrimp pasta dishes, use 1/4 to 1/3 pound of medium shrimp per person. This translates to approximately 8-12 medium shrimp.
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For entree-sized shrimp pasta dishes, use 1/3 to 1/2 pound of medium shrimp per person. This would be about 10-15 medium shrimp.
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For jumbo shrimp, use 5-8 per person for an entree and 3-5 for an appetizer serving.
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If using colossal shrimp, 4-6 per person should suffice for entrees depending on the other recipe components.
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For pasta salads featuring shrimp, use the lower end of the ranges since the pasta and other vegetables will bulk up the dish.
These serving size ranges give you flexibility to adjust the amount of shrimp up or down based on accompaniments and appetite. For heartier eaters, err on the higher side, or add an extra shrimp or two per person.
Here is a quick shrimp per person chart as a reference:
| Appetizer | Entree
|-|-|-|
| Medium Shrimp | 8-12 per person | 10-15 per person |
| Large Shrimp | 6-10 per person | 8-12 per person |
| Jumbo Shrimp | 3-5 per person | 5-8 per person |
| Colossal Shrimp | 2-4 per person | 4-6 per person |
Handling Raw vs. Cooked Shrimp
Another consideration is whether you will be cooking raw shrimp from a fresh or frozen state or using pre-cooked shrimp.
If using raw shrimp, your portion sizes may need to be slightly more generous to account for some shrinkage during cooking. Raw shrimp is about 75-80% edible meat weight after cooking due to water loss.
If using pre-cooked frozen shrimp, you can reduce the weight slightly since there will be no cook loss. Cooked frozen shrimp thaws well and can be convenient to toss into pasta dishes at the last minute to quickly warm through.
Sample Shrimp Pasta Recipes
To see these shrimp portion recommendations in action, here are a couple of classic shrimp pasta recipes using different shrimp sizes and pasta types.
Shrimp Scampi with Linguine
This quick shrimp scampi dish uses jumbo shrimp with linguine noodles. With just 6 servings, it calls for:
- 1 lb jumbo shrimp (about 8-12 per lb), peeled and deveined
- 1 lb linguine pasta
So it works out to around 2 jumbo shrimp per person, a reasonable amount for this type of recipe. The buttery garlic sauce coats each strand of linguine and jumbo shrimp beautifully.
Shrimp Primavera with Orzo
This brightly colored primavera recipe combines shrimp with lots of fresh vegetables and small orzo pasta shapes. To balance the small orzo and ample veggies, it uses more medium shrimp per serving:
- 1 lb medium shrimp (36-40 per lb), peeled and deveined
- 1 lb orzo pasta
- Assorted vegetables like peas, carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, spinach etc.
With 6 servings, that’s 8-10 medium shrimp per person, allowing the shrimp to shine among all the other ingredients. The mix of textures and flavors is fantastic.
As you can see, the shrimp amounts correspond nicely to the recommended guidelines based on pasta shape and other components.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about determining how much shrimp per person for pasta:
How can I tell when shrimp is cooked properly?
Shrimp is fully cooked when it turns opaque and pinkish-white throughout. Undercooked shrimp will still have some translucent gray color. Check for visual doneness rather than relying strictly on cook times which can vary.
Should shrimp tails be removed for pasta dishes?
Many people prefer to remove the tails before adding shrimp to pasta since the tails can pull out while eating. But it’s not strictly necessary, especially for larger shrimp where the tails tend to stay put. Leaving tails on does add visual appeal.
Which pasta shapes pair best with shrimp?
The best shrimp pasta shapes are long noodles like spaghetti, angel hair, linguine, or fettuccine which can wrap around the shrimp. Short tubular pastas like penne and ziti also hold sauce and shrimp nicely. Avoid super small noodles which may not be substantial enough.
How can I avoid rubbery shrimp texture?
Overcooking leads to rubbery shrimp. Cook just until opaque, about 2-3 minutes for medium shrimp. Also avoid freezing previously cooked shrimp which damages texture. Thaw frozen raw shrimp before cooking.
Should I salt shrimp before adding to pasta?
Lightly salting shrimp draws out moisture for better browning and locks in seasoning. But don’t heavily salt raw shrimp well before cooking as it can make the texture tough. Sprinkle with just a pinch of salt right before cooking.
Make Delicious Shrimp Pasta Tonight
With this handy guide to help determine the right shrimp portion sizes for pasta recipes, you’ll be ready to make perfect shrimp pasta for any occasion. Whether feeding an intimate dinner for two or a hungry family crowd, properly apportioning the shrimp ensures everyone gets plenty of flavorful seafood in each satisfying bite. Get creative with your favorite pasta shapes and sauce recipes to put this info to delicious use.
What You’ll Need to Make Shrimp Scampi
We’ve covered the basics, especially the sustainable shrimp. Come with me as I talk about the simple, fresh ingredients that make this garlic butter shrimp and pasta dish so delicious.
- You can use fettuccine pasta instead of another long type of pasta, like linguine or spaghetti. If you really need to, you could also use rotini or penne. It’s best to use a shape of pasta that will soak up the garlic butter sauce.
- Butter is a must for shrimp scampi, which is cooked in a rich garlic butter sauce. I recommend using high-quality butter like Irish or European butter. Classic American butter works fine, too. You can choose how much salt to add to the recipe if you use unsalted.
- Shallot: I love using shallots because they taste a little less like onions. It rounds out well with the garlic and butter.
- Garlic is an important part of shrimp scampi. For this recipe, I chop the garlic very small because I like having chunks of garlic all over the dish. A garlic press can also be used to make mince that is more fine.
- You can leave out the red pepper flakes, but they give the sauce a little extra kick.
- Wine, white—I think it’s not scampi without wine. I suggest you use wine that you like so you can enjoy the taste. Since the sauce has citrus in it, I like a bright, crisp white wine to go with it. A buttery white wine will also work.
- Lemon: fresh lemon juice is a must. It gives the scampi a wonderful brightness and goes well with the shrimp.
- Nice, bright parsley: This recipe calls for nice, bright parsley, so that’s what I used. It looks great as a garnish too, thanks to the bright green color!
How to Make Shrimp Scampi For Two
Happy to say again, that it is E. A. S. Y. to make shrimp scampi at home! This recipe is quick enough for a fancy weeknight dinner and fancy enough for date night, whether it’s made for two or four (just double it!).
The sauce comes together quickly and cooks the shrimp. After mixing it with the pasta, you’ll be ready to eat in no time!
First, prepare the pasta water. Salt a large pot of water and bring it to a boil. Cook the fettuccine noodles just under al dente, because they will finish cooking in the sauce. You can control how long they cook in the sauce by taking them out a couple of minutes early. This way, they won’t get soggy, and the noodles will be perfectly al dente!
It’s worth mentioning early: you will need to reserve pasta water! Don’t throw out the golden liquid!
As the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. Start by sautéing the garlic and shallot in olive oil and butter. Together, they make a rich base for the sauce, and the olive oil keeps the butter from turning brown too quickly.
Also, add a pinch of salt and the red pepper flakes here to start adding more flavor.
Once the aromatics are tender, add the shrimp to the sauce. Cook the shrimp on one side. They’re cooking in the sauce first, so they can soak up the flavors. Since they’re only cooking on one side, they won’t get too done when the pasta is all put together.
Together, the shrimp and pasta will finish cooking, and they will be done when you put it all together!
Remove the half-cooked shrimp and place them on a plate until we’re ready for them again. Then, deglaze the pan of sauce with white wine and add in lemon juice. Once it reduces down a little (more flavor!), add the shrimp back into the sauce to finish cooking. Move the pasta to the top at this point as well, and then add it to the sauce for one last time.
You can save the pasta water by using tongs or a spaghetti server to move the noodles into the pan with the sauce. Otherwise, I would recommend reserving at least 1 cup in a measuring cup before draining. You won’t add it all, but it’s better to have more and not need it than be lacking.
Add pasta water until the desired sauce consistency is reached. Adding pasta water also helps the sauce stick to the pasta and makes it extra luxurious!.
