Sharing is caring!

Shrimp scampi—garlicky, buttery shrimp served over pasta—what could be better? Whip up this shrimp scampi without wine in about 35 minutes. Add it to spaghetti, and you’ve got a satisfying dinner on your hands. It’s a delicious, easy meal that can be scaled to feed a crowd, and it’s always a hit! If you’re looking for a quick weekday dinner, this simple shrimp meal should be on your menu.

If you’d like to make this low carb, serve the shrimp over spaghetti squash or zoodles.

shrimp scampi over spaghetti garnished with lemon wedges and parmesan cheese

Why You Should Make This Shrimp Scampi Spaghetti

  • It’s quick and easy, ready in about 35 minutes from start to finish
  • It’s a crowd-pleaser. Just about everyone loves it.
  • There’s no wine in this recipe, making it perfect for kids and those on alcohol-free diets.
  • You can easily scale this recipe. It feeds 4-6, but doubling it is a breeze without any extra time needed.
  • It can easily be adapted for low carb or keto diets.

Equipment Needed to Make Shrimp Scampi Pasta

You don’t need any special kitchen equipment for this shrimp scampi pasta recipe. Here are the basic tools you’ll need (with affiliate links):

close up of shrimp scamp without wine over pasta

Ingredients for Shrimp Scampi Without Wine

Here’s what you’ll need to make this wine-free shrimp scampi:

  • 1 16-oz. box spaghetti
  • 2 T. unsalted butter
  • ½ large red onion, diced
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ t. ground cumin, divided
  • Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1¼ lbs. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 3 T. fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 large lemons, cut into wedges, divided

How to Make Shrimp Scampi Without Wine

Step 1: Cook the Spaghetti

Set a large pot of salted water on medium-high heat. Once the water is boiling, add spaghetti, and cook spaghetti according to package directions.

Step 2: Cook the onions and garlic

While the spaghetti is cooking, add the butter to a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the red onion, garlic, and ground cumin. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and begins to develop some color, approximately 6-7 minutes.

Step 3: Cook the Shrimp

Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp changes color and starts to curl slightly, approximately 2-3 minutes. Do not overcook.

Step 4: Finish Seasoning the Shrimp

Remove the skillet from heat and add the chopped parsley and a couple of squeezes of fresh lemon juice. Season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired, and stir to combine. Set aside.

Step 5: Add the Shrimp Scampi to the Pasta

When spaghetti is ready, remove from heat and pour into a colander. Rinse briefly with warm water to prevent sticking. Shake off excess moisture and transfer to a serving platter. Top spaghetti with the cooked shrimp mixture and serve immediately with the remaining lemon wedges and some freshly grated Parmesan cheese, (optional).

shrimp scamp on white platter gray background

What to Serve with Shrimp Scampi Spaghetti

This shrimp scampi pasta without wine is a meal in and of itself, but you could always pair it with a simple green salad to add some fresh veggies to your meal.

You may enjoy some bread on the side as well.

Popular Substitutions and Additions

  • Instead of spaghetti, you can also serve shrimp scampi over linguine, angel hair pasta, or any long pasta that you like.
  • However, you don’t have to serve it over pasta at all. You can, instead, serve it with a nice crusty bread to sop up all the buttery garlic sauce.
  • Try it served over rice.
  • Make it low-carb by serving it over spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles.
delicious shrimp scampi with spaghetti on a white platter garnished with lemon wedges

How to Reheat and Store Shrimp Scampi Without Wine

Best Way to Store Shrimp Scampi Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

How Long Will Shrimp Scampi Without Wine Last in the Fridge?

You can store leftover shrimp scampi with pasta in the fridge for 3-4 days as long as it’s in an airtight container.

Can I Freeze Shrimp Scampi?

You can freeze shrimp scampi for up to 3 months in the freezer. However, you should NOT freeze any pasta with it. Freeze the shrimp and sauce only, and make your pasta on the day you plan to reheat it.

How to Reheat Shrimp Scampi with Spaghetti

If you’ve already combined the shrimp scampi with the pasta, the best way to reheat is in the microwave in 30-second increments until heated through. Avoid overheating it, since it will make the shrimp chewy.

Another option is to reheat in a skillet sprayed lightly with cooking oil spray until heated through.

Shrimp Scampi Pasta No Wine FAQs

Why do they call it shrimp scampi?

Scampi in Italy was traditionally made with langoustine, a crustacean that’s common in Europe that’s larger than shrimp and looks like a small lobster. Shrimp became popular in the Americanized version of this dish, but the “scampi” part remained as it’s cooked in a style similar to scampi. Hence, shrimp scampi.

What is shrimp scampi sauce made of?

Often, it is a garlic butter and wine sauce, but you don’t need wine at all to make shrimp scampi. As you see with this recipe here, it can be done very well with no alcohol at all!

What can I use instead of wine in shrimp scampi?

If you find a recipe that requires wine (ours doesn’t), simply substitute chicken broth or water for the wine.

How do you thicken shrimp scampi sauce?

Add a tablespoon of cornstarch to a tablespoon or two of cold water. Whisk this into your sauce, and it will thicken up in just a few minutes.

Other Shrimp Recipes You’ll Love

Yield: 4-6 servings

Shrimp Scampi (No Wine) With Spaghetti

shrimp scampi on spaghetti noodles on white platter

This garlicky, buttery shrimp scampi with spaghetti is a quick weekday meal the whole family will love. It's made without wine, so it's kid-friendly and perfect for those on alcohol-free diets.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 16-oz. box spaghetti
  • 2 T. unsalted butter
  • ½ large red onion, diced
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ t. ground cumin, divided
  • Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1¼ lbs. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 3 T. fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 large lemons, cut into wedges, divided
  • Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat a large pot of salted water over medium-high heat. Add spaghetti and cook according to package directions.
  2. While the spaghetti is cooking, add butter to a large skillet set over medium heat. Add red onion, garlic, and ground cumin. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion softens and begins to develop some color, approximately 6-7 minutes.
  3. Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp changes color and starts to curl slightly, approximately 2-3 minutes. Do not overcook.
  4. Remove skillet from heat and add the chopped parsley and a couple squeezes of fresh lemon juice. Season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired, and stir to combine. Set aside.
  5. When spaghetti is ready, remove from heat and pour into a colander. Rinse briefly with warm water to prevent sticking. Shake off excess moisture and transfer to a serving platter. Top spaghetti with the cooked shrimp mixture and serve immediately with the remaining lemon wedges and some freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1 serving

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 421Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 315mgSodium: 1449mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 40g

These nutritional calculations might not be accurate. Please speak with a licensed nutritionist to assist you.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Similar Posts