Spring Shrimp Scampi with Peas and Mint Recipe

Name: Spring Shrimp Scampi With Peas and Mint
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 pound thin spaghetti; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 clove garlic, cut in half; 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined; 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or more to taste; 1 cup (8 ounces) whole milk ricotta; 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped; Grated zest from 1 lemon; 1 1/2 cups (8 ounces) frozen peas, rinsed with cold water to defrost; 2 tablespoons whole fresh mint leaves

10 Recipes to Make with Freezer Ingredients

FEATURED IN:

Shrimp are magical in a dish like this one. They’re pretty and curvy and juicy. Toss them with spaghetti, a little ricotta, peas, lemon, and mint, and you have a scampi-style pasta that's perfect for spring.

How to Make Shrimp Scampi cook the shrimp — Sheryl Julian

Look for Large or Jumbo Frozen Shrimp

I call the plump shrimp in this dish scampi because they’re the largest ones in the market—sometimes labeled “large” or “jumbo,” or with a number like “16/20” (which means 16 to 20 pieces in a pound). If shrimp is the main protein in the pasta, you want big pieces so they stand out.

In New England, where I live, most shrimp are raised elsewhere and flown in frozen. If like me, you don’t have access to fresh shrimp, go to the freezer section of the market and find a bag of frozen shrimp. This is often the better and fresher choice than the "previously frozen" shrimp that the market has thawed and put on display in the seafood case.

Another point in favor of shrimp from the frozen section: they are usually frozen individually so you can pour out what you want for a dish, defrost them yourself, and stick what you don't need back in the freezer for another meal.

Bags of frozen shrimp are also typically cheaper per pound than the shrimp in the fish case.

Spring Shrimp Scampi in pot — Sheryl Julian

A Quick Meal on Busy Nights

Here, the shrimp are sautéed quickly with crushed red pepper, then tipped into a pot of cooked spaghetti. Once the pasta and shrimp are tossed together, the rest of the meal takes minutes: just add peas, herbs, and some ricotta, and stir until everything is warmed through.

This makes this an ideal dish for nights when you don’t have a whole lot of time to cook. Let the shrimp work their magic, nestled with peas on strands of lemon- and mint-scented spaghetti.

More Ways to Enjoy Shrimp for Dinner

Spring Shrimp Scampi With Peas and Mint

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 35 mins

Servings 6 to 8 servings

1 pound thin spaghetti
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, cut in half
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or more to taste
1 cup (8 ounces) whole milk ricotta
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Grated zest from 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups (8 ounces) frozen peas, rinsed with cold water to defrost
2 tablespoons fresh whole mint leaves

Cook the spaghetti:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, or until the pasta is tender but still has some bite.

Scoop out 1 1/2 cups of starchy pasta cooking water with a heatproof measuring cup. Drain the spaghetti and, without rinsing, return it to the pan. Add 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and 1 tablespoon of olive oil; toss well and set aside. Reserve the remaining pasta cooking water.
Cook the shrimp:

In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. When it is hot, add the garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the shrimp, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper.

Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, or until the shrimp start to turn bright pink; they will not be fully cooked at this point. Scoop out and remove the garlic. Tip the shrimp and chili flakes into the pot with the pasta.

Sheryl Julian

Sheryl Julian
Finish the dish:

Set the pot of pasta over low heat. Add the ricotta, parsley, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup of the remaining pasta cooking liquid.

Cook, stirring gently, until the liquid heats up and the shrimp are pink and cooked all the way through. Add more of the reserved pasta water if the mixture seems dry. Add the peas and mint and toss gently until the peas are hot.

Sheryl Julian
Serve:

Divide among 4 shallow bowls and serve.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
348	Calories
11g	Fat
36g	Carbs
29g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories	348
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g	14%
Saturated Fat 4g	18%
Cholesterol 194mg	65%
Sodium 966mg	42%
Total Carbohydrate 36g	13%
Dietary Fiber 6g	20%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 29g
Vitamin C 60mg	300%
Calcium 177mg	14%
Iron 2mg	13%
Potassium 457mg	10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.