Pasta with seafood is one of the most scrumptious comfort foods to order when dining out. It is my favorite go-to entree for a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary. Now you can have a healthy Weight Watchers shrimp scampi with or without linguine right at home. With the noodles you get 3 WW points and without you get 0!

This shrimp dish is a total winner and can be made in less than 20 minutes. Plus you get 3 hearty portions, so it’s a great candidate for meal prep. The key to making this recipe healthy is to substitute a few ingredients and proper portion control.

Traditionally, shrimp scampi is made with a lemon-garlic-butter sauce and served over a large portion of linguine or another type of pasta. We replace the butter with cooking spray and “sauce” with chicken broth. This results in a lighter, yet equally delicious meal.

Why you should try this Weight Watchers Shrimp Scampi recipe

It’s a healthy hearty dish that can double as family dinner.
Butter, oil, and white wine is replaced with chicken broth, cooking spray, and yummy spices.
It’s ready in less than 20 minutes.
Makes 3 perfect portions to share or meal prep.
You can use any size shrimp you prefer from small to jumbo.
3 WW points per serving with the linguine and 0 if you leave it out or swap for zucchini noodles.

Ingredients

Cooking spray
 4 garlic cloves minced 
½ cup broth 
¾ tsp kosher salt, or to taste 
⅛ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
 1/8 tsp black pepper
 1/2 lbs large or medium shrimp de-shelled
 ⅓ cup chopped parsley 
Freshly squeezed juice of half a lemon 
1/2 lbs whole wheat linguine noodles (about two cups)

How to make healthy shrimp scampi (step by step)

Heat your skillet on medium/high and spray with cooking spray
Toss in the shrimp and sprinkle with seasoning and lemon juice
Sear them on high then reduce heat to low
Cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until they turn pink
In a separate pot, cook the linguine in 6 cups of water for approximately 8 minutes, drain and set aside (it will be al-dente)
Remove the shrimp from the skillet and whisk in the broth
Simmer for 10 minutes
Remove heat and add the shrimp and noodles back into the broth
Serve

Recipe variations and substitutions

Replace the linguine with zucchini noodles for a low carb recipe.
Leave out the noodles all together for a hearty shrimp dish.
Add in your favorite vegetables like spinach and mushrooms.
The chicken broth can also be replaced with beef or vegetable if you prefer.

Tips and tricks

Cook the pasta noodles ahead of time or simultaneously in a separate pot.
Add salt to the boiling water when cooking the noodles in order to absorb some of the salt as it cooks. This adds to the flavor of the overall dish.
For best juicy shrimp results sear or sauté on high heat then reduce to low.
The best way to thaw frozen shrimp is in the refrigerator overnight. If you’re in a time crunch then seal them in a ziplock bag with all the air removed. Then run cold water over the bag for five to 10 minutes.

Can I use pre-cooked shrimp?

Yes you can use precooked shrimp from the deli or frozen food section. In that case simply sauté the garlic then stir in the spices. Once the garlic starts to brown, pour in the broth and reduce it down. Add the shrimp in at the very end to simply heat it up and marinate it in the flavors. Cook the linguine the same way and serve!

Who invented shrimp scampi?

No one particular person is known to have invented shrimp scampi that we know today in the US. It’s one of those creation’s invented by immigrant cooks who adapted Italian techniques to American ingredients. In fact “scampi” are tiny, pale pink, lobster-like crustaceans traditionally sautéed in Italy with olive oil, garlic, onion and white wine. Italians in America simply swapped “scampi” for shrimp!