Vegan Shrimp Scampi

DIET: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

This Vegan Shrimp Scampi is ready in less than 30 minutes and guaranteed to be your new favorite weeknight pasta dish. It's made with oyster mushrooms, a homemade garlicky, butter scampi sauce and tons of fresh Italian parsley. Enjoy this quick and simple vegan dinner tonight!

Vegan Shrimp Scampi in three bowls with oyster mushrooms parsley and lemon on top. The bowls are on top of a purple towel with a bottle of Cakebread Cellars next to it.

This blog post is sponsored by Cakebread Cellars, a top-tier winery in Napa Valley consisting of 15 sites totaling 560 vineyard acres in Carneros, Rutherford, Howell Mountain, Anderson Valley, and other prime locations in Napa. Cakebread Cellars has been family-owned and operated since 1973 and is committed to sustainable production in both its vineyards and winery.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

No processed vegan shrimp! Although there are a few vegan shrimp options available in the frozen food aisles of the grocery store, I wanted to create a homemade vegan shrimp that was healthier and easier to find. My homemade meatless shrimp is made with just 1 ingredient and is not only healthy, but the perfect flavor and texture for vegan shrimp!
Gluten-free friendly. This vegan pasta is easily made gluten free with Cakebread Cellars gluten free Sauvignon Blanc as well as gluten-free pasta.
Hearty. This dairy free, vegetarian scampi is the perfect comfort food to make when you're craving something rich, creamy and filling! If you love hearty vegan dinners, try my Vegan Tater Tot Casserole and Creamy Vegan Gigi Hadid Pasta, too!

Ingredients and Substitutions

All of the ingredients for the shrimp scampi on a marble backdrop in individual bowls

White Wine - I used Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc in my scampi sauce. It has a sweet citrus aroma that balances the lemon juice in the vegan scampi sauce so nicely. It also helps balance the acidity of the dish with its crispness, making it incredibly flavorful and the perfect pairing. Enjoy a glass of the wine with your shrimp scampi, too!
Oyster mushrooms - Oyster mushrooms, also known as pearl oyster mushrooms or tree oyster mushrooms, are a funny looking mushroom that is sold in the produce section of many grocery stores, such as Whole Foods. They have a mild savory flavor and are a great vegan substitute for shrimp, as they have a similar texture and can take on any flavor as they are very absorbent. If you can't find oyster mushrooms, portobello mushrooms are the next best substitute.
Pasta - You can use any type of pasta like linguine, spaghetti, or angel hair pasta. You can also use gluten free or grain free pasta, as needed or desired. I used Jovial's gluten free spaghetti.
Vegan butter - There are a number of vegan butters available on the market today, and any of them will work here.
Fresh parsley - Fresh parsley is a required ingredient in this vegan shrimp scampi. I recommend using Italian flat-leaf parsley as it is better tasting and palatable than curly parsley. Dried parsley will not have the same effect or flavor and cannot be substituted.
Lemon juice - Similar to the parsley, fresh lemon juice is a necessity in this scampi sauce. It brightens the flavor and cannot be substituted.

Step by Step Instructions

Cook the pasta. Cook your pasta according to package instructions and set aside.
Prepare the vegan shrimp. Remove the mushroom caps from the oyster mushrooms, setting aside the stems for another recipe.

Process shot for vegan shrimp scampi being made. It is a collage of two photographs - one with the butter being melted in a skillet and another with the garlic and shallots mixed in the butter on the skillet

Prepare the garlic butter. In a large skillet, start the scampi sauce by melting 3 tablespoons of vegan butter over medium heat. Add in the minced garlic and chopped shallot and sauté in the butter until fragrant, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes to prevent burning.
Add in the homemade vegan shrimp. In the same skillet with the sautéed vegan butter and garlic, add in the oyster mushroom caps, as well as salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Sauté for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently until the oyster mushrooms are softened, similar to the texture of seafood.
Set aside the vegan shrimp mixture. Transfer the vegan shrimp, garlic and shallot to a separate bowl, then finish preparing the vegan shrimp scampi sauce.

Process shot for vegan shrimp scampi being made. It is a collage of two photographs - one with the mushrooms in a skillet with the garlic, shallots and butter, then the next with the same mixture but cooked down in the skillet

Add in Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc. Lower the heat to low heat and add in the last tablespoon of vegan butter, half a cup of Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, and lemon juice. Mix well to incorporate and bring the liquid to a simmer until the wine has reduced in the scampi sauce, about 2 minutes.
Add the vegan shrimp back in. Once the wine has reduced into the vegan scampi sauce, add the oyster mushrooms, garlic, and shallot back into the skillet with the scampi sauce and toss to combine.
Finally add the pasta. Add the cooked pasta as well as the fresh chopped parsley and toss to fully coat in the vegan scampi sauce and evenly spread the vegan shrimp throughout.
Serve. Serve vegan shrimp scampi immediately while hot, with optional vegan parmesan cheese, parsley and more crushed red pepper.

Process shot for vegan shrimp scampi being made. It is a collage of two photographs - one with the reduce scampi sauce in a skillet and one with the pasta, mushrooms and sauce in the skillet

FAQs

Is white wine vegan?

Not all white wine is vegan because some wines using fining agents that contain casein or isinglass, which is made from fish bladder protein. Good news, however is all Cakebread Cellars wines are vegan friendly, including their Sauvignon Blanc.

How do you thicken shrimp scampi sauce?

In order to thicken this scampi sauce, allow the sauvignon blanc to reduce for about 2 minutes or so. If you want your scampi sauce even thicker, you can add a small cornstarch slurry, but remember you want the sauce to be thin enough where it can evenly coat the pasta and vegan shrimp as well. I don't find this scampi sauce needs it.

Can you eat the stems of oyster mushrooms?

Yes! The stems of oyster mushrooms are just as edible to eat as the caps. You can slice them and turn them into vegan scallops or add them to a homemade vegetable stock.

Tips for Success

Measure ingredients before you start! Although this vegan scampi sauce is very easy to prepare, it does require frequent stirring and you won't have much time to prep additional ingredients as you go. I recommend getting everything measured and ready before starting the scampi sauce so the cooking process is fun and relaxing.
Toss the pasta in a bit of olive oil or vegan butter. After cooking the pasta to package instructions, toss it in a tablespoon of vegan butter or olive oil. This is going to prevent the pasta from sticking together while you prepare the vegan shrimp scampi sauce.