Such a classic Olive Garden recipe, Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi is garlicky and buttery! This copycat recipe of a classic Italian dish is one of my favorites. It’s such a tasty and light dinner, you’ll love it!!!! We also love asparagus, and this is full of it and sliced cherry tomatoes!
I have always had a deep love for the Olive Garden. If you didn’t know, I’m from Iowa. One of my favorite things to do was shop at Kohl’s and have lunch with my best friend at Olive Garden. Those were the days!.
Olive Garden’s shrimp scampi is one of their most popular and beloved menu items. The tender shrimp sautéed in garlic butter sauce and tossed with vegetables and angel hair pasta is the perfect balance of rich, briny and fresh flavors. But have you ever wondered what exactly goes into this Italian-American classic to make it so irresistible? Let’s break it down ingredient by ingredient.
Shrimp
The star of the dish is obviously shrimp. Olive Garden uses medium-sized shrimp that have been peeled, deveined and tail off. Using shrimp with the tails removed makes for easier eating. Undercooking the shrimp is a common mistake, so Olive Garden chefs likely cook them just until opaque and curled, which only takes 1-2 minutes. This prevents them from becoming rubbery.
Fresh shrimp would be ideal, but high-volume restaurants often rely on thawed, frozen shrimp for convenience and consistency. For our homemade copycat recipe, thawed frozen shrimp works perfectly. Just don’t use pre-cooked shrimp.
Pasta
Olive Garden uses angel hair pasta for its shrimp scampi. Angel hair is a thin spaghetti-style pasta that cooks very quickly. It pairs nicely with the lightness of the shrimp and sauce. Other thin pastas like spaghettini or capellini would also work well.
Undercook the pasta slightly before adding it to the sauce so it can finish cooking and absorb flavors. I’d go with about 1/2 pound of pasta for 4 servings. After draining, reserve about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water to add to the sauce.
Vegetables
In addition to shrimp and pasta Olive Garden’s shrimp scampi includes fresh vegetables like asparagus, tomatoes onions and garlic.
The asparagus is cut into 2-3 inch pieces and cooked briefly in the sauce just until tender-crisp Cherry or grape tomatoes are another fresh addition that provides pops of sweetness. An onion cooked with the garlic provides an aromatic base.
Sauce
Here’s where the signature buttery garlic sauce comes into play. It starts by cooking chopped garlic briefly in a combination of butter and olive oil. How much garlic? The more the better – up to 5 or 6 cloves for a single batch.
Italian white wine is added and reduced, which concentrates its flavor. Chicken broth can be substituted for the wine. Heavy cream contributes richness along with more butter. Fresh lemon brightens it up. Parsley and red pepper round out the flavor.
The sauce ingredients are cooked together just until the raw taste of the garlic mellows out. All the ingredients are then tossed with the pasta and shrimp just before serving.
Seasonings
Olive Garden’s shrimp scampi recipe relies on classic Italian seasonings. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper provide primary seasoning. Dried parsley and red pepper flakes add nuance.
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese is another key flavor component, so be sure to have some on hand for serving. A final squeeze of lemon right before eating adds even more bright flavor.
The Summary
To recap, here are the main components that go into Olive Garden’s famous shrimp scampi:
- Shrimp – peeled, deveined and tail off
- Angel hair pasta
- Asparagus
- Cherry tomatoes
- Onions
- Lots of garlic!
- White wine or chicken broth
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Heavy cream
- Lemon juice
- Italian seasonings
The combination of tender shrimp, pasta and crisp-tender vegetables tossed in an ultra-rich and garlicky butter sauce gives this dish its craveable flavor and texture. Use high-quality ingredients like fresh shrimp, veggies and real butter. Resist shortcuts with the components for an authentic home recreation of this Olive Garden classic. Just follow the instructions carefully, especially when cooking the shrimp and garlic. Then get ready to enjoy shrimp scampi that tastes like you ordered it straight from the restaurant!
Tips, Tricks & FAQs
You can easily swap out chicken broth for the wine.
A cheap one…I usually buy the mini bottles of chardonnay since I don’t drink much.
Well – if you don’t eat it on pasta – sure!
You should use a light pasta because shrimp is a very light “meat.” Bowtie would be too heavy for it. I like angel hair or linguine the best.
Yes – if you’d rather have rice than pasta – that works!
No – not typically. It’s just butter and garlic vs a fried shrimp
I added red pepper flakes – but just a few – add more if you like it spicier!
Not usually in it – but you sure can grate a little fresh parmesan on top!
I wouldn’t. It’s better to not freeze the shrimp and eat it fresh instead because it cooks so quickly and the dish comes together so quickly. Will it still be good to reheat shrimp scampi? Yes, but the sauce might separate a bit and taste very buttery. As long as you like butter, that is!
Yes, but I don’t think you’ll have any leftovers. If you do, heat them up in a skillet over medium heat for two to three minutes. If you cook them for too long, the shrimp will get tough and overdone. I would not recommend microwaving – unless you like to bounce your shrimp like a rubber ball.
You might have leftovers because the dish serves four people. Put it in a container that won’t let air in and put it in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze it for up to three months.
Red Lobster’s Shrimp Scampi is an appetizer made of shrimp with their tails still on in a garlic butter sauce. This, on the other hand, is a full meal with pasta.
How to make Copycat Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi recipe
This great recipe is a breeze to make! It goes together so quickly:
- MAKE A LOT OF WATER HOT. COOK THE PASTA according to the directions on the box until it’s al dente.
- A large skillet or sauté pan should have oil in it. Add onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute; do not brown. Cut the sauce in half and add the asparagus, tomatoes, butter, wine, red pepper, salt, and pepper.
- Put the shrimp in the pan with the wine mixture. Cook for one to two minutes, or until the shrimp curls and turns white from opaque. It cooks very quickly!
- ADD 1/2 cup of the pasta water to the white wine sauce.
- TRANSFER pasta to shrimp mixture and remove from heat
- TOSS to combine
- Put the shrimp scampi in bowls and top with extra sauce, parsley, Parmesan cheese, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Olive Garden demonstrates how to make shrimp scampi
How do you make Olive Garden shrimp scampi?
How to make this creamy, delicious, copycat Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi. Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook the pasta. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the boiling water. While bringing water to a boil, warm a skillet over medium heat. Melt butter and add shrimp. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Stir the shrimp until they turn pink.
What is Olive Garden shrimp scampi sauce made of?
The shrimp scampi sauce is primarily made from garlic, butter, lemon juice, and white wine, creating a rich and flavorful lemon garlic scampi sauce. Olive Garden shrimp scampi recipe without wine, chicken broth, or additional lemon juice can be used as a substitute for those making a copycat.
How do you make shrimp scampi?
According to a copycat recipe from Taste of Home, all you’ll need for Olive Garden’s Shrimp Scampi is a pasta pot, a pan, and the ingredients. Give the shrimp a quick sautée in some butter first. While cooking the angel hair pasta, sautée the garlic and red pepper flakes, then add wine and reduce to form the base of the sauce.
Does Olive Garden have shrimp scampi?
Shrimp Scampi at Olive Garden, per the chain’s menu, is a “lighter take on a classic.” The dish includes sautéed shrimp, asparagus, and tomatoes, tossed with angel hair pasta in a creamy garlic sauce. Is this the same dish you’d get if you ordered Shrimp Scampi in Italy? Not exactly — you might not even be served shrimp at all.