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There is no need to fuss over weeknight dinners ever again. No sense in slaving away over the stove, or simply giving up and ordering out. This delicious shrimp scampi with orzo pasta, filled with the bright flavors of wine and lemon, comes together in just 15 minutes.
Growing up, I thought shrimp scampi was one of the fanciest dishes ever. We did not eat much seafood, so scampi seemed like a real treat on the rare occasion my mom let me into the kitchen to take a stab at the recipe. The bright flavors and taste of fresh shrimp was my idea of the perfect meal. Typically served with linguine, I decided to switch up the recipe just a bit by using a quick cooking orzo to make it a one-pot meal.
Homemade Seafood Stock
Most scampi recipes call for some sort of stock to build a sauce with. Since this is such a quick recipe, though, we have to find other ways to build flavor. I do this by making my own quick seafood stock. Now this is totally optional, and if you can find a good seafood stock in the grocery store, by all means use it! But making it from scratch allows me to make sure I control the flavor as well as not waste any part of the shrimp.
To make enough stock for this recipe (about 2 cups), begin by peeling 1lb of shrimp. In a saucepan, add in the shrimp shells as well as 1tbsp olive oil. Saute the shells until they turn bright pink. Add 1 clove of garlic, 1/3 cup parsley (not chopped), and 1/4 of a white onion. Saute for 1 minute and pour in 2 1/3 cups of water. Bring to a gentle boil for 10-5 minutes. When the broth is ready, strain it and set it aside for this recipe, or store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 1 month.
One Pot Shrimp Scampi with Orzo
Now that we have our stock ready, it is time to make our scampi. Being by prepping the shrimp. In a bowl, take your one lb of the peeled shrimp and add 2 tbsp of olive oil. Also, add in the zest of one lemon, about 1 tbsp, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Set the bowl aside.
Next, in a nonstick skillet, melt 3 tbsp of butter over medium heat. To it, add 2 minced cloves of garlic and 1 cup of dry orzo. Toast the pasta for 1-2 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant and the pasta is golden and toasted. Now, add in the juice of one lemon and 1/3 cup of dry white wine. Let the liquid simmer and become almost completely absorbed by the pasta. Once most of the wine is gone, add in 2 cups of seafood or vegetable stock and season with salt and pepper.
Cover the pan and allow it to simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until just al dente. Once the pasta is 2 minutes shy of being done and most of the stock is absorbed, nestle the shrimp into the pan and recover. Simmer another 2-3 minutes until the shrimp is bright pink. Sprinkle the dish with 1/4 cup of fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Want More One Pan Meals?
- Red Curry Soup
- French Onion Pot Roast
- Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Zuppo Toscano
- Creamy White Turkey Chili
Shrimp Scampi with Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 lb peeled and deveined large shrimp
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon zest zest of one lemon
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
- 2 cup vegetable or seafood stock see notes for homemade stock
- ¼ cup minced parsley
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add shrimp, olive oil, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Set aside
- Melt butter in a skillet and add in garlic and orzo. Toast for 2-3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and orzo is slightly toasted
- Pour in lemon juice and white wine into the skillet and allow to simmer until almost completely reduced. Add in stock, bring to a simmer, and cover until the pasta is tender, about 8-10 minutes
- When the pasta is al dente, or nearly done, nestle the shrimp into the pan and cover for 2-3 minutes, or until the shrimp is bright pink.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
