Description
This easy shrimp scampi orzo recipe combines tender shrimp, toasted orzo, butter, garlic, lemon, and fresh herbs in one skillet for a restaurant-quality meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights or special occasions.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (Fresh or frozen works great—just thaw frozen shrimp first)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced (Don’t skip the zest—it’s where all the aromatic oils live!)
- 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced and divided (Slicing instead of mincing gives you little pockets of sweet, mellow garlic)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided (Real butter makes all the difference here)
- 1/3 cup minced shallots (Sweeter and more delicate than onions)
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (Just enough to wake everything up)
- 1/3 cup dry white wine (Or use broth with a splash of white wine vinegar for a non-alcoholic option)
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta (The little rice-shaped pasta that everyone loves)
- 2¾ cups water
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Optional Garnishes:
- Extra olive oil for drizzling
- Additional black pepper
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
Toss your shrimp in a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil, all the lemon zest, 2 sliced garlic cloves, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Let them sit while you get everything else ready.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in your skillet over medium heat. When it’s sizzling, add the shrimp in one layer. Cook them just until they turn pink, about 3 minutes, then move them to a bowl.
Put the rest of the olive oil and 2 more tablespoons of butter in the same pan. Add your shallots, red pepper flakes, and the other 3 cloves of sliced garlic. Let everything cook until your kitchen smells incredible, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the orzo and let those little grains toast for a minute or two, stirring so they don’t burn. Pour in the wine and let it bubble for 2 minutes. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and some black pepper.
Add the water and bring everything to a gentle simmer. Let it cook without a lid until the orzo is tender and most of the water is gone, about 12 minutes. Stir it every so often so nothing sticks to the bottom.
Stir the shrimp back in with half the fresh herbs. Squeeze in some fresh lemon juice, drizzle a little olive oil over the top, and finish with the rest of the herbs and more black pepper. Taste it and add more salt or lemon if you want.
Notes
Fresh shrimp is great, but frozen works just as well if you thaw them completely and pat them really dry. Let them sit at room temp for ten minutes before cooking so they cook evenly.
If wine isn’t your thing, the broth-and-vinegar swap tastes just as good. When you slice the garlic, go thin but not see-through thin—you want it to soften and turn golden, not disappear.
Stir the orzo a few times while it simmers so it doesn’t glue itself to the pan. Want it spicier? Double the red pepper flakes. And here’s something important: don’t add cheese. I know it’s tempting but shrimp and cheese don’t play well together in Italian cooking.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American