This Crispy Shrimp Scampi Pasta with Parmesan & Peas is a crispy, slightly spicy, cheesy, lemon-y and buttery shrimp pasta dish that elevates shrimp scampi by using buttery crackers instead of a panko crust. Perfect with a glass of white wine and a light salad.
Shrimp Scampi Pasta
My favorite shrimp scampi dish is an Ina Garten one that I saw her make probably a half dozen years ago. Baked in a dish, it is an indulgent, beautifully presented plate. My biggest hesitation in bringing it into our normal rotation is that it calls for 12 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. That is one tablespoon shy of 2 full cups of fat! As much as I love it, every time we eat it I feel a pit in my stomach just knowing that.
This recipe has half the fat and is just as crispy and indulgent. It’s a bit more involved than some of my five-ingredient or one pan meals like the Chicken with Garlic and Peas in White Wine Sauce or the Chicken and Brown Rice Vegetable Casserole, but it is an absolutely delightful meal!
A Relatively Lighter Shrimp Scampi Pasta Dish
Look, I am not one to claim that my recipes are low fat or that I don’t use butter and oil… I mean c’mon you’ve seen the Ice Cream Burger and the Oreo Cookie White Chocolate Cookie Pies. The difference is those recipes are treats, eaten in small portions every so often. I am a strong believer in enjoying your food and balancing it with lots of healthy meals around the indulgent one and a healthy addiction to your exercise of choice. For me, that is my spin addiction. But even I sometimes have to make alternate versions just so I can actually sit down and enjoy my meal, otherwise, I’d be eating 1/16th of the recipe because in my head all I can think about is butter. Thhhhhhaaaattttt being said, I know this is still not a “light” or “low fat” dish… just a delicious one!
How to Make Shrimp Scampi Pasta
For parmesan shrimp pasta, we start with the pasta. Set pot of salted water to boil. (I use about a tablespoon of salt to the water). Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a frying pan and add crushed buttery crackers. Cook until crackers are crisped and browned.
Remove from pan and reserve in small bowl. Add pasta to boiling salted water and cook one minute shy of directions on the box. Wipe frying pan clean with paper towel. Add salt and pepper to taste on the shrimp. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper in the pan on medium high.
Cook shrimp for 2 minutes on each side, until just cooked through.
Remove shrimp from the pan. (save yourself from making another plate dirty, just set the shrimp on top of the cooked buttery crackers. They are all going in the same pan in just a minute anyway!). Drain the pasta. Add white wine to the pan and whisk with the olive oil for a few seconds until it just comes to a boil. Turn off the heat and add in the butter. Whisk until the butter is combined. Add the pasta to the pan with the shrimp and mix.
Add in the frozen peas, Parmesan cheese, and buttery crackers, toss again. Top with fresh parsley if desired.
Don’t worry, I still love you Ina 😉
Shrimp Scampi Pasta with Parmesan & Peas
Ingredients
- 1 lb thin spaghetti
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lb 21-25 count raw shrimp , peeled and deveined with tail on
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 lemon , zested and juiced
- 4 tbsp butter , divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 20 buttery crackers , crushed into pieces and crumbs
- 6 oz shredded parmesan cheese
- 12 oz frozen peas
Instructions
- Set pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. (I use about a tablespoon of salt to the water).
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a frying pan and add crushed buttery crackers.
- Cook until crackers are crisped and browned.
- Remove from pan and reserve in small bowl.
- Add pasta to boiling salted water and cook one minute shy of directions on the box.
- Wipe frying pan clean with paper towel.
- Add salt and pepper to taste on the shrimp.
- Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper in the pan on medium high.
- Cook shrimp for 2 minutes on each side, until just cooked through.
- Remove shrimp from the pan. (save yourself from making another plate dirty, just sit the shrimp on top of the cooked buttery crackers. They are all going in the same pan in just a minute anyway!)
- Drain the pasta.
Add white wine and lemon (juice and zest) to the pan and whisk with the olive oil for a few seconds until it just comes to a boil.
- Turn off the heat and add in the butter.
- Whisk until the butter is combined.
- Add the pasta to the pan with the shrimp and mix.
- Add in the frozen peas, Parmesan cheese and buttery crackers, toss again.
- Top with fresh parsley if desired.
Psssst… want to hear a little secret? This recipe is one of 10 in my FREE e-book 5-10-30: 5 Cuisines, 10 Full Meals and 30 Total Ingredients that is a bonus for email subscribers only! It includes shopping lists that set you up for two weeks of weeknight dinners with no ingredient waste and tips for cooking and alternate ingredient options. If you haven’t subscribed for updates you may want to now and get the e-cookbook FREE!
Wonderful flavor, but DRY DRY DRY! I only cooked 12 oz of pasta instead of the full pound, then only added about 3/4 of that. It was still way to dry.
Hi Vicki, I’d love to troubleshoot with you here. This is a recipe I’ve made for almost 15 years for clients and family. Between the white wine, the lemon juice, butter and oil you should have *about* 1/2-2/3 of liquid to toss the pasta with. That being said, the dish should be coated, but it’s not a “sauce” so it won’t be too wet, think more like a flavored oil. Was yours so dry it tasted just like dry pasta? If so did you cook down the liquids or would you say you had roughly that much liquid to start?
Super good! I couldn’t find gluten-free butter crackers, but I made some GF breadcrumbs (using bacon as the fat to toast them up), and I can’t say I regret the addition of bacon bits to the recipe 🙂
I don’t think I’ve ever regretted adding bacon bits to a recipe 😉
Way too much spaghetti for the amount of other ingredient. 1/2 pound would be reasonable
Made this tonight. Although flavors were wonderful with the peas which I had never had in scampi before I found it way to dry. Not enough sauce for a lb of pasta. Added some seafood broth to Dr it up. I think I would skip the crackers next time.
Made this yesterday and was great! Did not know where to add the lemon since it was not in the directions so I left it out. After reading the comments I see the lemon goes in with the wine. Bummer. Will add it next time I make this and see if there is a noted difference.
So sorry. I keep fixing it and the recipe widget keeps taking it out. I just edited it again so hopefully it sticks this time. Thanks for letting me know and so glad you still were able to enjoy it!
Oh my that looks delicious! I love meals that use real foods rather than processed!
hi, Thanks for the reply. I did pour the lemon juice with the wine. Great recipe. A keeper
Fantastic! So glad you enjoyed it!
This looks fantastic! Can’t wait to make this! Pinning for this weekend!
Wonderful! Thank you so much for the pin!
Shrimp is my favorite food in the world! This looks amazing I want to make this like now!
Thanks!
I need to try this SHRIMP SCAMPI PASTA WITH PARMESAN & Peas recipe, thanks for sharing
I love anything with shrimp in it. The parmesan and peas sound like they would compliment this dish well.
Thanks 🙂 I’m a huge fan of shrimp too.
I love the addition of peas and panko bread crumbs in shrimp scampi. I will have to try that next time.
Excuse me while I pick my mouth up off the floor. Another delicious food recipe!
Haha. I try 😉
This would be a much loved dish here in my home. We love shrimp, it is delicious! I have never tried to make this dish either .. your recipe is a great idea!
Your pictures are amazing! I would love to make this recipe for my family!
Aww thanks!