When you have small kids in the house, it’s hard to find a meal that the whole family will eat without a fight. Miraculously, that’s exactly what I found with this Shrimp Scampi Pasta! Every single person in my household loved it, INCLUDING my kids. In fact, they even asked for seconds and thirds.

Thankfully, this Shrimp Scampi recipe is completely WINE FREE! So, I didn’t have to worry about my toddlers getting drunk after their third bowl. 😛 And me, being 5 months pregnant, was also able to eat it without worry. Read on to see how I made this Shrimp Scampi Pasta without wine.

WHY MAKE WINE-FREE SHRIMP SCAMPI?

In traditional Shrimp Scampi, white wine is used for added acidity which compliments the buttery, lemony taste of the sauce. It accents the flavor of the shrimp (or any seafood) quite well.

Although cooking with wine is usually harmless, it is important to note that not all the alcohol will burn off. It could take up to 2 hours of cooking for the alcohol to actually burn out of the wine you’re using.

So, for a recipe such as this Shrimp Scampi Pasta which has a very short cook time, using wine was out of the question for me. I knew I wouldn’t be cooking it long enough to safely evaporate all the alcohol content. For this reason, I chose a different route: chicken broth!

CHICKEN BROTH INSTEAD OF WINE IN SHRIMP SCAMPI

Chicken broth is something I use quite often when I cook because of how versatile it is. For this Shrimp Scampi Pasta recipe, it serves almost the same purpose as wine would have: added flavor and depth to the sauce. It also infuses the shrimp with extra, juicy tenderness.

When mixed with the garlic, lemon, spices, butter and shrimp, the chicken broth adapts a savory, seafood taste creating the perfect sauce for this pasta.

WHICH PASTA TO CHOOSE

For the pasta, you can go with any shape of your choice. Traditional shrimp scampi is usually paired with long pastas such as spaghetti or linguine. I chose to be a rebel and go with penne simply because it was more kid-friendly and “less messy” as my husband says.

SHRIMP SCAMPI PASTA WITHOUT WINE

So, for those of you who have ever wondered how to make kid-friendly shrimp scampi, WITHOUT wine, I hope this recipe will be your Godsend! It’s been such a success in my household so far. Read on to see the full recipe for this Shrimp Scampi Pasta Without Wine!

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Shrimp Scampi Pasta (Without Wine!)

Course: MainDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

306

kcal

This Shrimp Scampi Pasta (Without Wine!) is kid-friendly & pregnancy-friendly! Made with a buttery, lemony sauce filled with garlic and spices.

Ingredients

16 oz large shrimp, peeled & deveined
16 oz pasta of your choice (I used penne)
1 tsp parsley (plus more for topping)
½ tsp black pepper
2 tsp Italian seasoning, divided
2 tsp garlic salt, divided
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs olive oil, divided
4 Tbs butter, divided
1 cup chicken broth
3 Tbs lemon juice
Grated Parmesan (optional for topping)

Directions

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve at least ¼ cup of the pasta water for later use
Wash the shrimp and place in a large mixing bowl. Season the shrimp with the parsley, black pepper, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp garlic salt, and HALF the minced garlic. Mix well
In a large skillet, add 1 Tbs olive oil and 1 Tbs butter. Heat on medium until butter melts
Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook 2 minutes on EACH side. Don’t overcook shrimp or it will become rubbery
Remove the shrimp from the skillet but keep any remaining juices in the skillet. Set shrimp aside for now
Add another 1 Tbs olive oil, 2 Tbs butter and the rest of the garlic to the skillet. Heat on medium until butter melts and garlic turns a light golden color
Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, 1 tsp garlic salt and 1 tsp Italian seasoning. Mix well and let simmer on medium for about 5-10 minutes
Add 1 more Tbs of butter for extra creaminess and 1-2 Tbs of pasta water to help the sauce adhere to the pasta (optional)
Add the shrimp back to the skillet and mix with the sauce
Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and mix everything together until pasta is coated well
Top with more parsley and grated parmesan if desired

Notes

Calories & Nutritional Info may vary based on different brands and ingredients used. Nutritional Info below was calculated using Very Fit Well’s Nutrition Calculator.

Nutrition Facts

8 servings per container

Calories306

Amount Per Serving% Daily Value *
Total Fat 11.2g 18%
- Saturated Fat 4.5g 23%
Cholesterol 138mg 46%
Sodium 224mg 10%

Amount Per Serving% Daily Value *
Potassium 156mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 33.7g 12%
- Dietary Fiber 0.2g 1%
- Sugars 0.5g
Protein 18g 36%

Calcium 1%
Iron 12%
Vitamin D 20%

* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.