Buttery lemon sauce, loads of fresh garlic, tender shrimp, all swirled together with capellini pasta. This 2-minute Instant Pot Shrimp scampi is easy-peasy (even lemon squeezy), and it sure is delicious!
We all need those dinners that you can throw together in a pinch. For when you forgot to take out meat from the freezer, you have other tasks you need to get done, or you haven't gone grocery shopping in a long time. This Instant Pot Shrimp Scampi with Angel Hair Pasta is one of those meals. It uses frozen shrimp, cooks in just minutes, AND the pasta is cooked right in the Instant Pot!
We love shrimp in our house and always keep a bag or two on hand for quick dinner recipes with shrimp like tuscan shrimp, cajun butter shrimp, and creamy shrimp with zoodles. It is a great protein source and it is rich in selenium, choline, and B12.
If you would like to make this shrimp scampi without the Instant Pot, you totally can. This Shrimp Scampi without Wine recipe will help you do it!
Ingredients
- angel hair pasta
- frozen raw shrimp (I used shell on, but shell off would work great!)
- chicken stock
- white wine
- garlic
- butter
- olive oil
- salt
- fresh parsley
- lemon
Instructions
Turn Instant Pot to saute function and add butter and olive oil. Once the butter has melted, add in garlic and saute for a few minutes, until fragrant. Deglaze with white wine.
Turn off Instant Pot.
Add in angel hair pasta, criss-crossing it as much as you can to avoid clumping and to help ensure that it all becomes cooked through in the short cook time.
Add frozen shrimp on top of the uncooked pasta and then pour chicken broth, salt, lemon juice, and zest on top.
Close the lid and set Instant Pot to 2 minutes at High Pressure. Allow to come up to pressure and then cook pasta and shrimp.
Natural release for 5 minutes and then quick release the rest of the way. Open lid and stir in fresh chopped parsley.
Can I skip the white wine?
Yes. Supplement in additional lemon juice or chicken broth in place of the ¼ cup of white wine during the deglazing process.
Can I use thawed shrimp
You can, but I would set the pressure cooker to 1 minute at High Pressure, as opposed to 2. Shrimp cook extremely fast in the Instant Pot and you don't want them getting rubbery.
Can I use already cooked shrimp?
I wouldn't do this, for the reason I stated above. You really run the risk of overcooking your shrimp here. If you still want to make shrimp scampi, I would suggest this buttery shrimp scampi recipe and not preparing the shrimp in the Instant Pot.
Can I make it without pasta?
Yes, you can. This will give you more of a saucy shrimp scampi, as the noodles aren't soaking up the juice. Keep the cook time at 2 minutes.
Can I use a pasta other than angel hair?
If you would like to use another pasta, I would advise that you cook it separately. Any other pasta shape will take longer to cook and won't be done at the same time as the quick-cooking shrimp!
Help! I am getting a BURN notice.
One of the notices the Instant Pot will give off is "burn." This happens to me when I am cooking with tomatoes, or if there is bits on the bottom of the pot from sauteing prior. It can also happen when there isn't enough liquid. To avoid this burn error message when making this shrimp scampi recipe, make sure:
- To deglaze the pan well, after sauteeing the garlic. Use a wooden or silicone spoon to scrape up an garlic bits that are stuck to the bottom.
- Add a few shrimp under the angel hair. This helps ensure the pasta doesn't clump up or stick to the bottom
- Try to fully submerge the pasta as best you can with the liquid. This not only helps you avoid the burn notice, it also helps to ensure the pasta cooks through. Criss-crossing the pasta is key, as well!
How to Serve Shrimp Scampi Pasta
This dish is pretty much an all-in-one pasta dish. Heck, the pasta is cooked right in-- without even boiling a pot of water! To garnish this pasta and serve, try one or all of the following:
- Red Pepper Flakes: For a little extra spice, garnish with red pepper flakes.
- Peas: My FAVORITE veggies with buttery/creamy pasta dishes is peas! They pair so well and mix right in. This Garlic Sauteed Spinach would also be delicious.
- Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese: Or the green shaker, still delicious. Cheese on top of these is superb!
I have lots of other fun Instant Pot recipes to try. Check these out!
Instant Pot Shrimp Scampi with Angel Hair Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz. angel hair pasta
- 1 lb. frozen raw shrimp
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- ¼ cup white wine
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 4 tbsp. butter
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- 1 lemon juice and zest
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to saute function and add butter and olive oil. Once the butter has melted, add in garlic and saute for a few minutes, until fragrant. Deglaze with white wine.
- Turn off Instant Pot.
- Add in angel hair pasta, criss-crossing it as much as you can to avoid clumping and to help ensure that it all becomes cooked through in the short cook time.
- Add frozen shrimp on top of the uncooked pasta and then pour chicken broth, salt, lemon juice, and zest on top.
- Close the lid and set Instant Pot to 2 minutes at High Pressure. Allow to come up to pressure and then cook pasta and shrimp.
- Natural release for 5 minutes and then quick release the rest of the way. Open lid and stir in fresh chopped parsley.
Donna
What kind of white wine would you recommend?
Thank you
Sarah
Pinot Grigio or Sherry! Those are both "dry" white wines and good for cooking. If you don't have wine on hand, chicken stock, lemon juice, or even white grape juice would all work as a substitute.
Elizabeth
Thanks for the recipe! Have you ever doubled it? If so...do you think you'd cook it longer?
Sarah
You're welcome! I have not tried doubling it, but I believe it would work just fine, as there was a lot of room available in the Instant Pot still. I would add 1-2 minutes to the cook time. Let me know if you do! ~Sarah
julie smith
Shells on shrimp were annoying to remove when cooked in hot butter!
Sarah
My husband feels the same way haha! I'm sorry. Shrimp cook so quickly in the Instant Pot, I prefer to use shell on, but you could certainly use the ones with the shells removed!
-Sarah
Julie
I made this last night. It was so delicious and flavorful. I was amazed with how much flavor the pasta had. I even sent the recipe to my daughter so she could make it. So easy too!
Thanks so much!!
Sarah Baumeister
That's the best compliment, thank you! Glad you enjoyed and I hope your daughter does as well.