This shrimp scampi pasta combines sweet, buttery, sidestriped shrimp with a bounty of summer harvests — garlic, corn, tomatoes. It’s a simple but elegant pasta dish that’s a perfect match for dinner under the stars, or even for an elevated lunch under the sun.
For more recipe ideas, check out some more of our favorite shrimp recipes.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
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Sidestriped shrimp: This species of shrimp is a variety of wild-caught crustacean that is popular in Alaska. It has a naturally sweet, buttery flavor. Any variety of wild-caught shrimp with a similar texture and flavor can be substituted — try making this pasta with spot prawns.
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Corn: Fresh summer corn adds juicy sweetness to this pasta dish. Keep in mind, though, that the sugars in fresh corn turn to starch, shortly after harvest, so you’ll want to make sure that the corn is as freshly picked as possible. A great alternative is frozen corn, which is frozen at the peak of freshness and is oftentimes a better option than the “fresh” corn options you’ll find throughout the year.
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Butter: The addition of butter to this pasta adds a richness that helps to balance the sweetness of the corn, tomatoes, and shrimp. Butter can be reduced or omitted entirely if you want to lower the fat content of this dish or adapt it so that it is dairy-free. (An extra drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, just before serving, can help to bring the dish together in place of butter.)