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Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta

Juicy shrimp tossed with tender linguine in a golden garlic butter sauce with lemon and Parmesan — on the table in 20 minutes.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 540
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz 340g linguine or spaghetti ​
  • 1 lb 450g large shrimp, peeled and deveined ​
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter ​
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil ​
  • 5 ​ garlic cloves thinly sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes ​
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth ​
  • 1 ​ lemon zested and juiced
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more to serve
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley ​
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for pasta water
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper ​

Method
 

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until just al dente, 1 minute less than package directions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
  2. Pat shrimp dry; season with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear shrimp 1–2 minutes per side until pink. Transfer to a plate.
  3. Melt butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute until fragrant and lightly golden.
  4. Pour in wine (or broth) and lemon juice, scraping up browned bits. Simmer 2 minutes until slightly reduced.
  5. Return shrimp to skillet. Add drained pasta, lemon zest, Parmesan, and parsley. Toss, adding pasta water a splash at a time, until the sauce glossily coats everything.
  6. Season to taste and serve immediately with extra Parmesan.

Notes

Don't overcook the shrimp — they finish in the hot sauce. Frozen shrimp works; thaw and pat very dry first. For dairy-free, use olive oil or vegan butter and skip the Parmesan.