What’s not to love about Instant Pot shrimp scampi pasta? Creamy angel hair pasta and flavorful shrimp, cooked in one pan in less than a half hour! The shrimp cooks from frozen.
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: It’s shrimp scampi! In one pan!
How long it takes: 30 minutes, start to finish
Equipment you’ll need: Instant Pot
Servings: 4
This pasta dish is so easy to prepare. From start to finish, you’ll have it on the table in less than a half hour. That’s my kind of recipe! And such an easy cleanup — only one pan. Plates and forks are optional (just kidding!).
Don’t have any meat thawed out for tonight’s dinner? No worries, just grab a bag of frozen shrimp out of the freezer and you’re good to go. Shrimp is my go-to for quick meals. Try sheet pan shrimp fajitas or grill up shrimp kabobs with pineapple. These shrimp tacos with avocado, mango and pineapple salsa are crazy good.
And this pasta dish is really so delicious: briny shrimp and delicate angel hair pasta in a garlicky white wine sauce, with bright lemon and salty Parmesan. This isn’t a creamy cheese sauce, like Alfredo, but you’ll definitely notice a creamy feel due to the starch that’s released into the broth from the pasta. And with just 414 calories per serving, you’ll enjoy every bite!
Why spend a bunch of money at a restaurant when you can easily make this absolutely delicious shrimp scampi pasta at home? Open that bottle of white wine (for the pasta, of course, but you may as well enjoy a glass!) and let’s get cooking!
What is Shrimp Scampi?
In Italy, scampi are small crustaceans in the lobster family. They are called langoustine or prawns. Since they aren’t widely available in the U.S., cooks began substituting shrimp, cooking them the same way they would have cooked scampi, a quick sauté with butter and garlic.
So shrimp scampi, which is kind of like saying “shrimp shrimp,” has evolved into a garlic butter shrimp dish that is prepared in a variety of ways. Try my lemon shrimp recipe with olive oil, garlic, and lemon which really is a shrimp scampi preparation.
You’ll find that shrimp scampi is so often served on angel hair pasta that folks think that’s what shrimp scampi is. This Instant Pot shrimp scampi pasta recipe is an easy iteration of a classic dish.
What you’ll need
- Butter and Olive Oil: A mixture of butter and olive oil reduces saturated fat but increases the flavor of this simple dish.
- Shallots and Garlic: The pungency is tempered by sautéing briefly in the butter/olive oil mixture.
- Dry White Wine: Use wine that you like to drink. Sauvignon Blanc has a nice citrus note that complements the lemon in this recipe.
- Angel Hair Pasta: A quick cooking pasta that’s often served with shrimp scampi.
- Chicken Broth: Look for low sodium or unsalted chicken broth.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Add as much or as little zingy heat as you like.
- Shrimp: Since shrimp cooks very quickly, you won’t even have to thaw it before adding it to the Instant Pot. How easy is that!
- Parmesan Cheese: Use a good quality Parmesan if you can. I like to pass additional cheese when I serve this dish.
- Fresh Parsley: Choose Italian (flat leaf) parsley.
- Lemon Juice: A squeeze of lemon juice really brightens up this pasta dish.
How to make Instant Pot Shrimp Scampi
You’ll need an Instant Pot pressure cooker to make this pasta dish. You won’t need an additional pan to cook the pasta or a colander to drain it, nor will you need a skillet to sauté the shrimp.
Begin by sautéing chopped garlic and shallots in olive oil and butter in your Instant Pot. In a few minutes, they’ll be tender and so aromatic. Add the wine and stir for another minute. Oh, that smells soooo good! Turn off the heat while you add the rest of the ingredients.
Stir in half of the broth, making sure nothing’s sticking on the bottom of the pan – scrape all of those brown bits up!. Crack the angel hair pasta in half and layer it in the pot in a criss-cross pattern. If you just plop the dry pasta in, all going in one direction, it will stick together when it cooks and you’ll end up with a pasta blob.
Pour in the rest of the broth, separating the pasta as much as possible. Sprinkle on a few red pepper flakes, then arrange the frozen shrimp on top. Season with a bit of salt and put the lid on the pot.
Select Manual or Pressure Cook and set the time for zero minutes (not a typo!). Both shrimp and angel hair pasta require a short cooking time and by the time the pressure cooker comes to pressure, they’re both fully cooked. Magical!
Important Tip
Some pressure cooker models may not let you select zero. Select the lowest time you can but stop the cooking as soon as the pressure cooker indicates full pressure (hit cancel), then quick release the pressure!Remove the lid when the pressure is safely vented and stir in shredded Parmesan, parsley, and fresh squeezed lemon juice. Enjoy immediately!
Shrimp scampi is usually prepared very simply with garlic, butter, and shrimp. Often white wine, lemon juice, or red pepper flakes are added.
You can omit white wine when making shrimp scampi. Fresh lemon juice or chicken broth can be added instead if you prefer.
Most people like to serve shrimp scampi with pasta or crusty bread. With this Instant Pot shrimp scampi pasta, serve a simple classic arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette.
Make It Your Own
- Cooking thawed or fresh shrimp: If you’d like more control over cooking the shrimp (or if you’re using fresh or thawed shrimp), don’t add it to the Instant Pot right away. Wait until the pasta is cooked, set the Instant Pot to warm, and stir in thawed or fresh shrimp. The residual heat will cook the shrimp in about 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp.
- Use a skillet to cook the shrimp: Sauté the shrimp in a skillet, plate the pasta, and top with the shrimp. You might like to try my easy shrimp Alfredo which is cooked in a skillet.
- Vegetarian entrée: Omit the shrimp.
- Looking for something different? Try this delicious Greek orzo salad with shrimp or pasta with shrimp, Brussels sprouts, & wine sauce.
Shrimp scampi pasta is really best eaten immediately. If you do happen to have some left over, cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to two days. Reheat pasta in the microwave in 15 second increments until warm. Add a little broth if the pasta seems dry.
More one pot pasta recipes
- Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pasta – cheesy ranch perfection
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese with Broccoli — so creamy!
- Taco Pasta – One Pan, Healthy, 30 Minutes
- Pizza Pasta – 1 pan, 6 ingredients, 20 minutes
- Gnocchi with Kale & Sun-Dried Tomatoes – ONE PAN!
- Easy Skillet Lasagna
- One Pot Vegetarian Orzo with Sundried Tomatoes
- Creamy Chicken Spaghetti – one pan, endless variations!
Instant Pot Shrimp Scampi Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large or 2 small shallots, halved and thinly sliced (about ½ cup)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 8 ounces angel hair pasta
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pound large frozen shrimp (size 20-30), deveined, shells and tails removed (do not thaw, see note)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat Instant Pot on “Saute” function. Add butter, olive oil, shallots, and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until shallots soften, 2-3 minutes.
- Add wine and cook, stirring, until wine has reduced slightly, about 1 minute. Turn Instant Pot off.
- Add 1 ¼ cups broth to pot, scraping up any brown bits. Crack pasta in half and layer in a criss cross pattern. Add remaining broth and separate strands of pasta as much as possible. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and then add frozen shrimp to the top, without stirring. Sprinkle with salt.
- Secure Instant Pot lid and turn valve to seal. Set on “Pressure Cook” or “Manual” (depending on your model) for 0 minutes (not a typo!). If your Instant Pot model will not accept 0 minutes as a setting, simply press Cancel when you hear the signal that it’s reached full pressure.
- Once the Instant Pot has reached full pressure, immediately release pressure by doing a “quick release” and turning valve to vent.
- Remove cover and stir in Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, and lemon juice.
- Taste and season with additional salt and red pepper flakes as needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Cook pasta as directed above, omitting shrimp. It will only take about 6 minutes to come to pressure instead of 15.
- When pasta has finished cooking, remove the lid and stir in shrimp. Leave Instant Pot on warm setting, with the lid on but not sealed, and cook for 8-10 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through (pink and shaped like the letter C), stirring 3 times to ensure shrimp cooks evenly.
- Continue with the remainder of the recipe and stir in Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, and lemon juice.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
How would you tweak the recipe using frozen cooked shrimp as opposed to frozen raw?
(Aside from thawing and adding in the end)(Or maybe that’s your recommendation ;-) Thanks!
Ha yes I think thawing and adding at the end would be my recommendation, otherwise it may overcook and become rubbery.
I have a 6qt pot and 14 people, so would like to do 2 lbs of shrimp. Would this recipe still work if I do just the shrimp and not the pasta in the instant pot and make pasta separately on the stove since it would be a starch choice for more than one main dish?
That would probably work, but it may be easier just to make the shrimp on your stovetop.
So excited to try this recipe tomorrow! Looks delicious and easy! One question- could vegetable broth be used in place of chicken broth? Thank you!
Yes, that will definitely work!
I made this tonight and it tasted good, but it came out soupy. There was so much liquid in the pot when it finished, but everything was cooked well. I’m not really sure what happened, the only thing I did different was use thin spaghetti instead of angel hair.
It could have been the spaghetti – we haven’t tested it that way and it’s possible it didn’t absorb as much of the liquid as angel hair does. It should thicken slightly after it sits for a few minutes.
I made this and it was delicious! My husband told me I HAVE to make it again.
So glad you guys liked it!
I would like to make this but I’m wondering if you double it do you double the liquid also?
I haven’t tested it, but since the pasta cooks in the liquid, I would think yes, doubling it would be what you need to do.
Is there an alternative to the dry white wine? I’m not a wine drinker so I don’t have it on hand and it’s only 1/4 cup so I dont want to buy a whole bottle…thanks
You can just use a little more broth!
Could I use white wine vinegar or not a good idea?
Instead of the white wine? I wouldn’t recommend that – it will alter the flavor drastically and make it very vinegary. If you don’t want to use wine, I’d substitute with chicken broth.
Fast, easy and delicious!!
So happy you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Will be trying it tonight!
I hope you loved it!
@rachelcooksblog
What a great recipe! We loved it.
Thanks.
So glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
This looks delicious, and I have everything to make it! Win-win win! I was thinking about adding some vegetables to it but wasn’t sure what would be best. I’m afraid the wrong vegetable may make it too watery. Have you tried anything in this dish? Spinach? Sautéed mushrooms? Peas? Thanks for sharing. Can’t wait to try it.
If you’re using a watery vegetable, I would recommend cooking it separately and just stirring it in at the end. That way you can make sure the liquid cooks off (or you could drain it off) and you can control the doneness of the vegetable a little better that way. I think peas or asparagus would both be great with the lemon flavors in this recipe. I think spinach would be really good too, and you could probably just stir that in at the end since it wilts so quickly and easily.
Thank you so much for the ideas. I’ve made this a couple times now and we really loved it both times. This is a new favorite in our house. The first time I made it, I added one cup of asparagus, chopped up and one cup of peas, that I sautéed beforehand, like you suggested, and threw in at the end. This was delicious! The second time I added some sautéed mushrooms to that, but I don’t feel like it added anything in flavor. We will probably stick to the asparagus and peas. That was our favorite. This was so good and leftovers were great for lunch the next day. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad to hear it! Thanks for reporting back!