Description
Golden cheese and garlic butter coat tender shrimp and pasta in this zesty, creamy shrimp scampi pasta bake.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 lb medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 12 oz linguine or spaghetti, cooked al dente
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tbsp)
- ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Optional Garnishes
- Extra parsley, lemon wedges, pinch of smoked paprika
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Boil linguine/spaghetti in salted water until just al dente. Drain and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil.
- Sauté Aromatics: In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic, cook until fragrant. Stir in red pepper flakes, lemon zest, and juice.
- Make Sauce: Add broth and cream, simmer 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add Shrimp: Stir in shrimp for 2 minutes, just until they begin to turn opaque. Remove from heat.
- Mix Pasta: In a bowl, combine pasta, shrimp sauce, ½ cup Parmesan, ½ cup mozzarella, and parsley.
- Assemble Bake: Pour into greased 9×13″ baking dish. Top with remaining cheese. Optional: add panko topping.
- Bake: At 375°F for 18–20 minutes until golden. Broil 1–2 minutes for extra browning. Rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- For dairy-free: use plant-based butter, cream, and cheeses.
- Use gluten-free pasta if needed.
- Add-ins: baby spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, panko topping.
- Make-ahead: assemble unbaked dish up to 1 day in advance.
- Freezer-friendly: freezes up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups
- Calories: 490 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 160mg