Sicilian Scampi – Easy Olive Garden Copycat

This Olive Garden Sicilian Scampi recipe is a creamy shrimp dish served over toasted Italian bread with garlic, lemon, and melty cheese. It’s simple to put together, tastes restaurant-level, and honestly works for dinner or an appetizer — up to you.

Jump to Recipe

Quick Summary

• Prep time: 10 mins
• Cook time: 30 mins
• Flavor: creamy, garlicky, zesty
• Great for: chill dinners, quick appetizers, light bites

Why I Like This Recipe

I wasn’t even gonna cook that night — just wanted bread and cheese, honestly. But I had shrimp and cream sitting around, and yeah… it spiraled into this. Turns out, crispy bread + garlicky shrimp + hot cheese sauce? Not a bad “lazy dinner” decision. Also, it looks kinda fancy without trying too hard.

Ingredients

• 6 shrimp
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp onion, finely chopped
• ½ tsp garlic (minced)
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ¼ tsp garlic salt
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup water
• ½ cup asiago cheese, shredded
• ¼ cup mozzarella cheese
• 1 tbsp Romano cheese
• 4 black olives, sliced
• 1 tbsp green onion, chopped
• ¼ cup diced tomato
• 4 slices Italian bread
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper

How To Make Sicilian Scampi

1. Cook the shrimp: Heat olive oil in a small pan. Add wine and lemon juice. When it bubbles, drop in the shrimp and cook ‘til pink and curly. Take them out — sauce stays.
2. Sauté the base: In that same pan, toss in onions, garlic, and garlic salt. Cook until they’re soft and smell amazing.
3. Make your thickener: Mix flour with a splash of water in a separate bowl. Stir it into the pan. Let it bubble and thicken.
4. Cream and cheese time: Pour in the cream, stir. Add the cheeses one by one — asiago first, then mozzarella, then Romano. Stir each until fully melted. If it looks too thick, splash in a little water and whisk.
5. Assemble like a pro (or try to): Toast the Italian bread (do this last-minute so it stays crisp). Arrange in an “X” shape on a plate. Pile shrimp in the center, pour the sauce on top, and sprinkle olives, tomato, green onion, and crushed red pepper. Extra asiago? Always.

Tips for Success

• Use fresh shrimp if you can — taste’s better, texture’s better.
• Toast the bread right before plating or it’ll turn soggy fast.
• Don’t dump all the cheese in at once. Slow and steady = smooth sauce.
• If your sauce gets too thick, add water — not flour.

Storage and Reheating

• Fridge: Let everything cool down, then toss it in a sealed container. Eat it within 2 days.
• Reheat: Low heat, small pan. Add a splash of water or milk to loosen the sauce. Stir often. Don’t microwave if you can avoid it — the shrimp will suffer.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I use pre-cooked shrimp?
  Meh, technically yes. But it won’t soak up the flavor the same way. You’ll lose a lot of that wine-lemon magic.
• Do I need all three cheeses?
  Not really. Asiago does most of the heavy lifting. If you’re short on one, just use more of the others.
• Can I swap the wine?
  You could try chicken broth with a splash of lemon juice. Won’t taste exactly the same, but still good.
• Can I make this ahead?
  The sauce can be prepped earlier, but toast + shrimp = last-minute job. Otherwise it just doesn’t hit the same.
• Is this a full meal or an appetizer?
  Honestly? Depends on how many shrimp you use and how hungry you are. I’ve made it dinner plenty of times.

Common Mistakes and How to Dodge Them

• Overcooking the shrimp: It’s tempting to let them sit, but they only need like 2-3 minutes. If they start curling tight like a snail, you went too far.
• Skipping the onion step: Even though it’s small, sautéed onion gives the sauce way more flavor. Don’t just dump it all in at once.
• Adding all the cheese at once: Cheese clumps if you rush it. One handful at a time — stir, melt, repeat.
• Not toasting the bread fresh: This is a big one. Toast the bread after the sauce is done. Soggy bread is the enemy here.
• Using cold cream: Warm it up slightly or let it sit out a bit. Cold cream can mess with the texture and slow things down.

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

• Calories: 401 kcal
• Total Fat: 30g
• Saturated Fat: 14g
• Cholesterol: 78mg
• Sodium: 628mg
• Potassium: 126mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 15g
• Dietary Fiber: 0g
• Sugars: 7g
• Protein: 10g

You Might Also Like:

• Classic Shrimp Scampi Fritta – Easy Olive Garden Copycat
• Chicken Scampi – Easy Olive Garden Copycat
• Chicken Alfredo Pizza – Easy Olive Garden Copycat
• Spaghetti and Meatballs – Easy Olive Garden Copycat