Shrimp Scampi with Tomatoes and Artichokes (So Good and Easy!)

This Shrimp Scampi recipe is the perfect easy, yet romantic, pasta dinner for Valentine’s Day. It takes a classic shrimp scampi recipe up a notch with the addition of artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes to the recipe. In my opinion, it’s the best recipe for shrimp scampi. You’ll love dipping crusty bread in the sauce for this shrimp scampi, too!

This Shrimp Scampi Recipe with Tomatoes and Artichokes was originally posted on February 11, 2011. It has been edited to include additional information as well as new photos.

Creating this Shrimp Scampi Recipe

Do you usually go out for Valentine’s Day or do you cook a romantic dinner at home? For us, we almost always stay in. It’s so crowded to go out for a date on Valentine’s Day.

Celebrating Valentine’s Day at home requires a little bit of organization and careful planning on our part. With two children that need to be tucked in bed (forget going out on a regular basis…), it can be hard to have a romantic evening.

I plan a simple, yet thoughtful dinner and prepare it while my husband works on getting ready for bed and we eat after they are fast asleep.

This easy meal with simple ingredients is one of the best shrimp recipes for Valentine’s Day.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe for Shrimp Scampi

3 reasons I love this Recipe for Shrimp Scampi:

1. I think this is the best recipe for shrimp scampi because the addition of sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes to the garlicky shrimp takes classic shrimp scampi up a notch.
2. The sauce for this shrimp scampi is easy to prepare. This easy shrimp recipe is simple enough for a weeknight dinner but fancy enough for a special occasion or dinner party.
3. This shrimp dish goes great with crusty bread for soaking up all the buttery garlic sauce! Who doesn’t love an excuse to have bread with their pasta?

What is in this Shrimp Scampi Pasta?

Wondering what goes in shrimp scampi? You’ll need the following ingredients to make my version – Shrimp Scampi with Artichokes and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

• Linguini
• Butter
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Shallots
• Raw Garlic
• Shrimp
• Dry White Wine
• Artichoke Hearts
• Sun-Dried Tomatoes
• Black Pepper
• Sea Salt
• Lemon
• Fresh Parsley
• Parmesan Cheese

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

How To Make Shrimp Scampi

If you’ve ever wondered how to make shrimp scampi, and you’re looking for something a little more elevated than the classic scampi recipe you came to the right place. Here’s how you prepare this tasty artichoke pasta with shrimp:

1. Start with fresh shrimp that has been deveined. You can use frozen shrimp, too, but you’ll need to make sure it is thawed first.
2. Juice half of the lemon and reserve the juice for later. Save the other half for garnishing the plates.
3. Prepare the pasta al dente according to package instructions so it is ready when you need it.
4. To make the white wine sauce, start by melting the butter and olive oil in a large skillet or cast iron pan.
5. Saute garlic and shallots over medium heat, then add in the uncooked shrimp, salt, and pepper and cook until the shrimp are no longer translucent.
6. Add wine, artichoke hearts, and sundried tomatoes to the shrimp mixture. Cook until heated through.
7. Stir in the lemon juice half of the parsley, and the cooked pasta.
8. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
9. Garnish with remaining parsley, parmesan cheese, and lemon wedges.

The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.

Tips for Making Artichoke Shrimp Pasta

Salt the pasta water when cooking pasta. 

I like to add 1-2 tablespoons of salt to the water for every pound of pasta that I’m cooking. Seasoning the pasta for makes the whole shrimp scampi dish taste better. I prefer to use kosher salt or coarse sea salt.

Use frozen artichokes in this Recipe for Shrimp Scampi.

I prefer frozen artichokes in this shrimp scampi recipe over the taste of canned artichokes.

Make sure to thaw them ahead of time so you don’t have to wait for them to heat through when preparing this quick shrimp scampi.

Use fresh garlic for the Scampi Sauce.

Since the sauce for shrimp scampi is relatively simple, you want to make sure every ingredient packs a punch. Fresh garlic is much more flavorful than the jarred pre-minced varieties.

Fresh lemon juice tastes best in this Easy Shrimp Scampi.

I prefer fresh lemon juice over bottled lemon juice. I think it has the best flavor. If you like your scampi sauce extra lemony, try adding some lemon zest.

For best results, be careful not to overcook the shrimp.

Get all of the ingredients for the shrimp scampi prepped and ready to go ahead of time. Shrimp cooks really fast, so they’re not something you want to leave simmering in the pan for more than a couple of minutes.

Top your plate of Shrimp Scampi Pasta with fresh grated parmesan.

The pre-shredded cheeses often have anti-caking agents added. You’re better off purchasing a block of parmesan and grating it on top of your shrimp scampi. It’s usually cheaper in the long run this way, too.

Take This Shrimp Scampi Recipe Over the Top!

Want to take this artichoke pasta with shrimp to the next level?

If you have some extra time, make this Homemade Chili Garlic Oil a few hours ahead of time. Once the oil has cooled, marinate the shrimp in a tablespoon or two of the oil for a couple of hours before cooking. This oil is made from extra-virgin olive oil, red pepper flakes, and garlic.

The best part is the oil is incredibly easy to make ahead and will only enhance the flavors of the shrimp in this dish. You likely won’t need as much oil as the recipe calls for (if any) depending on how much of the oil you leave on the shrimp after marinating.

Shrimp Scampi FAQ

Got questions about how to make this delicious shrimp scampi recipe? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments on this post and I’ll respond with answers.

Serving this Shrimp Scampi Recipe

There are tons of great side dish options to serve with this classic recipe. Here are a few of my favorite options:

Italian Mixed Greens Salad is a mix of arugula, radicchio and baby kale is tossed with a simple lemon Dijon vinaigrette and topped with crispy prosciutto and fresh shaved parmesan.

Do you love Olive Garden’s famous house salad? Learn how simple it is to make at home with this Olive Garden Salad Recipe so you can enjoy your favorite flavors at home!

Our easy go-to veggie sides are roasted broccoli, roasted green beans, roasted Brussels sprouts, and roasted asparagus. You basically follow the same method in all the options – toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and roast.

I would definitely also recommend serving this shrimp pasta recipe with a thick slice of crusty bread for soaking up the sauce. You might like one of these bread recipes: Rustic Rosemary Garlic Bread, Light Whole Wheat Baguette, Whole Grain Bread, or Rustic White Bread would all be delicious!

Serve your Shrimp Scampi, salad, and bread with a glass of wine. Just use what’s leftover from cooking this recipe. That’s why it is important to cook with wine you’d be willing to drink!

Tips for Valentine’s Day Dinner At Home

You don’t need a 5-course meal to treat your Valentine to a special evening. Not only will planning an evening in for Valentine’s Day ensure a romantic evening for two, it’ll save you a few bucks as well.

Prepare something that’s a little bit more special than your typical evening meal. Or if you know of a favorite dish that your significant other has, consider preparing that to dine on. It’s also fun to try to recreate favorite restaurant dishes. This scampi dish is a great recipe option!

Choose a recipe that isn’t crazy complicated but has complex flavor because its the ingredients give it a nice flair. Look for recipes ingredients that you don’t normally eat day to day. I think this pasta recipe with artichokes fits that!

If you and your significant other both love spending time in the kitchen, consider preparing a special meal together. Now that the kids are older and we often have time alone in the evening, my husband and I love to spend time cooking together.

A little quiet, romantic music is always a nice touch. Turn a few lights off and light up the room with candles. If you are able and it’s not too warm an evening, light up your fireplace to cozy up the room.

What To Do With Leftover Shrimp Scampi?

Seafood doesn’t last as long as leftovers and it doesn’t usually reheat very well at all. If you don’t think you’ll eat the whole dish in one evening, consider cutting the recipe in half.

Otherwise, if you do have leftover that you want to save, follow these tips:

• Transfer the leftover garlic butter shrimp scampi to the refrigerator as quick as possible. Don’t let this dish sit out at room temperature after you finish eating.
• Store the shrimp and artichoke pasta in an airtight container.
• Dispose of any leftovers after 2 days in the fridge.

The Best Shrimp Scampi Recipe: 5 Star Reader Review

“This was so delicious! Made this for Valentine’s Day and we both loved it! The artichokes and sundried tomatoes totally made the dish – I could eat sundried tomatoes every day! I scaled it up to make a 1 1/2 batch but otherwise followed the directions exactly.” -Andrea

Try this Easy Recipe for Shrimp Scampi?

If you tried this succulent shrimp and pasta recipe, I’d love to hear from you!

I hope you agree that it is one of the best shrimp scampi recipes and it is definitely restaurant quality! Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see.

On Instagram? Share your photo and tag me with @goodlifeeats and #goodlifeeatsrecipes. I’d love to see photos of your shrimp dish.

More Pasta Recipes for a Special Dinner

Looking for more easy pasta recipes? Here are a few of my favorites:

A simple, just-spicy-enough Arrabbiata Sauce you can make from pantry ingredients. Serve it with anything — chicken, sausages, pasta, even your morning eggs!

Creamy Gorgonzola Pasta is tossed with balsamic beef tenderloin for the ultimate pasta dinner! Serve with a salad or roasted vegetables for a complete meal. This recipe can be prepared gluten-free.

Spinach Mushroom Lasagna is an easy but impressive vegetarian dinner recipe that’s perfect for both holiday entertaining and weeknight dinners. Serve with a simple green side salad for a complete meal!

Don’t see what you’re looking for here? You can always head over to check out the recipe index to look for more recipes.

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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Rachael from Set the Table.

Disclosure: This post originally contained a giveaway. Le Creuset provided me with a the giveaway prize. I was not compensated for this post or the creation of this recipe for Shrimp Scampi with Tomatoes and Artichokes. Opinions are my own. This giveaway is now closed.