How To Make Your Homemade Shrimp Scampi Taste As Good As A Restaurant's

Shrimp scampi has managed to remain a generational favorite, partly because this classic Italian-American dish can be whipped up in minutes. It's the perfect fallback option in a pinch — whether for a surprise visit or when you need to impress but are short on time. That's why finesse becomes crucial.

To help perfect your shrimp scampi and bring it up to restaurant quality, Daily Meal spoke with chef and owner of Eating House and Luca Osteria , Giorgio Rapicavoli. He says the first step in putting together a memorable scampi is avoiding a common mistake people make: "overcooking the shrimp." Rapicavoli shared a handy tip to avoid this mistake while making shrimp scampi: "When finishing the dish, you can remove the shrimp from the pan until the pasta finishes cooking in the sauce, then just bring them back to temperature before serving.



" A good rule of thumb to prevent shrimp from becoming rubbery and tough is to watch for changes in color and texture. Once the thickest part of the shrimp turns from translucent to opaque and pink, it's cooked. We asked Rapicavoli whether there is a specific variety of shrimp that works best for scampi or whether there's an ideal shrimp size.

The chef said he prefers rock shrimp. "They're very sweet, have a great texture, and are incredibly easy to work with." Picking the right wine to cook shrimp scampi Choosing the ideal wine for seafood is tricky territory, especially for a dish like scampi.

Shrimp scampi relies on minimal ingredients , primarily butter, garlic, chili flakes, and lemon juice. So the choice of wine can significantly impact the flavor. Additionally, not everyone is adept at cooking with wine, which can lead to mistakes, such as choosing a wine with too many tannins or too much sugar .

So we asked chef Giorgio Rapicavoli which wine he felt worked best for this umami-packed dish. "Definitely a crisp white wine works well," he said. The chef further explained his choice: "You want some acidity in the dish to balance out the garlic.

I would definitely stay away from reds and sweet wines. Scampi is all about balance!" If you're not a wine connoisseur or someone who struggles to make the distinction between different types of wines, Chablis can be a good option. The wine is known for its round textures and crisp characteristics.

Rapicavoli also revealed his favorite finishing touch for shrimp scampi made with the right wine and perfectly cooked pasta. "I also love to finish scampi with some toasted bread crumbs." You can also use nicely toasted bread like baguette or ciabatta for sopping up the sauce, but bread crumbs can add a crunchy twist to your restaurant-style shrimp scampi, and we've got a toast trick from making bread crumbs in a flash .

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