Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta

Garlic butter shrimp pasta is fast, buttery, and exactly the kind of dinner that feels special on a random night. ♡

It’s basically a five star combo with very little effort: shrimp cooked just until juicy, garlic butter that smells unreal, and a glossy sauce made from pasta water and a squeeze of lemon. Here’s the thing, shrimp goes from perfect to rubbery in about one minute, so we cook it quickly, pull it out, then finish everything in the same pan.

You can keep it simple or add a handful of spinach and call it balanced. Let’s make it together.

Ingredients

Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta

• 12 ounces pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine)

• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

• 5 cloves garlic, grated or minced

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

• zest of 1 lemon

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1/3 cup reserved pasta water (more as needed)

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Optional add ins

• 2 cups baby spinach

• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

• 2 tablespoons white wine (use instead of some pasta water)

Tips

• Salt the pasta water well. It’s the base seasoning for the whole dish.

• Pat the shrimp dry. You’ll get better browning and less steaming.

• Don’t burn the garlic. Lower the heat when it goes in, and keep it moving.

• Use pasta water. It turns butter and cheese into a silky sauce, not oily noodles.

• Add shrimp back at the end. Just to warm through, not to keep cooking.

Variations

• Creamy version: add 1/3 cup heavy cream after the garlic and simmer 1 minute.

• Lemon herb: add extra lemon zest and a little fresh dill.

• Spicy: add more red pepper flakes or a spoon of chili crisp.

• Veggie boost: toss in spinach or zucchini ribbons.

• No Parmesan: use a little extra butter and finish with lemon and parsley for a lighter sauce

FAQ

Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta Recipe

Quick garlic butter shrimp pasta with lemon, Parmesan, and parsley in a silky sauce made from butter and pasta water.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 12 ounces pasta spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine
• 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
• 5 cloves garlic grated or minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/3 cup reserved pasta water more as needed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• Optional add ins
• baby spinach cherry tomatoes, or a splash of white wine

Method

 

1. Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until just al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
2. Season the shrimp. Pat shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper.
3. Sear shrimp. Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side until pink and just cooked through. Transfer shrimp to a plate.
4. Make garlic butter base. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining butter. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 30 to 60 seconds, stirring constantly.
5. Build the sauce. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1/3 cup pasta water. Stir and simmer 30 seconds.
6. Toss pasta. Add pasta to the skillet and toss until coated. Add Parmesan and toss again, adding more pasta water as needed until glossy.
7. Finish. Return shrimp to the pan and toss just until warmed through. Add parsley and serve immediately.

Notes

Shrimp cooks fast, pull it as soon as it turns pink to keep it juicy.

If the sauce looks oily, add a splash more pasta water and toss well.