Lemon garlic shrimp with orzo in (would you believe it?) 30 minutes! My weeknight friendly shrimp scampi is served over toasted orzo for an easy meal with lots of saucy Mediterranean flair.
dinner tonight: lemony garlic shrimp with orzo
If you’re feeling like shrimp for dinner this is one of the best choices you can make. You’ll take your favorite shrimp, whether that’s raw or frozen, cooked, or not, sauté it up in olive oil, butter, garlic, lemon and white wine (you can’t go wrong) and spoon it over toasted orzo. Never toasted orzo before? No worries, I’ll show you how, it’s simple.
grocery list for lemony garlic shrimp with orzo
Are you ready to getup close and personal with shrimp, lemon, garlic, and butter? I thought so. Here’s your honey-do list…
- shrimp ~ you’ve got lots of choices here: go with fresh from the fish counter, or frozen. Both raw and cooked shrimp will work, but raw will have better flavor. I used frozen and just thawed it under cold running water for a few minutes before cooking.
- white wine ~ if you don’t drink wine, you can leave it out. I like to keep a stash of mini bottles in the pantry for recipes like this.
- orzo ~ orzo is a pasta that looks like rice. In this recipe, we’re cooking it like rice (which makes it extra confusing, but delicious!)
- fresh parsley
pantry staples
- olive oil
- garlic
- lemon juice
- butter
- chicken stock
- salt and pepper
quick cook method
You’ll cook both the shrimp and the orzo in 2 pans at the same time. Easy peasy.
- Grab 2 skillets. Toast the orzo in one. Add boiling chicken stock, cover, turn heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- Meanwhile in the second skillet sauté the shrimp in olive oil and garlic, then add wine and lemon juice. Simmer gently just until the shrimp are cooked, then add butter, and season to taste.
- Serve the shrimp and sauce over the orzo. Sprinkle with parsley and black pepper to taste.
healthy and quick shrimp dinners
- Chimichurri Shrimp
- Shrimp Scampi Fra Diavlo
- Shrimp in Lemon Sauce with Olives
- Shrimp Pad Thai
- Edna Lewis’ Shrimp & Grits
what would I serve with this dish?
Honestly it doesn’t need much. We’re trying to scale down our dinner expectations lately, and when I can fit everything in one bowl, that’s a plus. In this case the buttery shrimp calls out for something green and fresh, so make a simple salad, or a steamed veggie like broccoli, peas, asparagus, or green beans. In our house it would probably be frozen peas, which is a universal side for us 😉
Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Orzo
Ingredients
for the orzo
for the lemon garlic shrimp
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb raw shrimp
- 1/2 cup white wine
- juice of 1 lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving (optional)
- 3 Tbsp butter, unsalted, cut into pieces
- salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- To make the orzo, heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a saucepan and add the orzo. Toast for a couple minutes over medium/medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until you start to see some of the orzo turn golden brown.
- Add the hot stock and make sure it's boiling before turning the heat down to low and covering the pan. Allow to cook for about 15 minutes until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed. Set aside while you make the lemon garlic shrimp. Note: if your orzo is still crunchy or very brothy, let it cook a little longer.
- To make the shrimp, start by heating 3 Tbsp of the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the minced garlic and sautee gently for a couple minutes until fragrant, but not browned.
- Add the shrimp and sautee for a minute or two on each side.
- Add the white wine and the lemon juice, and bubble until slightly reduced. Add the butter and allow it to melt in. Salt to taste.
- Serve the shrimp and sauce over the orzo and top with a sprinkling of fresh parsley and black pepper.
Notes
- Need to go low carb? Use cauliflower rice instead of orzo.
- Use scallops in place of the shrimp.
- Add some red pepper flakes for a little kick of heat.
- Add crumbled feta cheese.
- Toss with baby spinach or arugula.
- If you want to use another type of pasta like spaghetti or linguine, just cook it according to package directions.
Nutrition
Amazing ! I added peas and asparagus to the orzo and followed the recipe to the letter. I wouldn’t change a thing. So easy and quick, I will be making it again .
Thanks Barb!
Will this recipe work without the wine? What could substitute for it?
Yes, you would just add more stock. The lemon should provide plenty of acidity. Or you could use a non-alcoholic wine.
Sue, this recipe looks delicious! I have some frozen seasoned cous cous, do you think I could substitute that for the orzo? I’d like to use it up.
I think that would work great Sheri!
I made this for 5 tonight with a side Cesar salad. This was sooo easy delish and our 3 teens loved it!
Lemon Garlic Shrimp with orzo…. Excellent! My husband and I have just completed dinner … and dishes. During our meal, my husband Jim praised the dinner many times. “This is delicious!” “You can really taste the toasted orzo.” “This is really good. It’s really lemony!” And as he headed out out with the evening’s trash, he turned to me and said, “That dinner was delicious. Where did that recipe come from? Be sure to save it!”
So Susan, From one Susan to another, I thank you for putting a smile on my husband’s face. By the -,it really was delicious!
I’m grinning Susan, what could be better??