Description
This easy garlic butter shrimp pasta dish combines succulent, perfectly cooked shrimp with a rich garlic butter sauce, tossed with al dente spaghetti and finished with fresh parsley and Parmesan. Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s a quick and impressive meal that will delight your taste buds.
Ingredients
Scale
Shrimp and Sauce
- 1 lb Large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- 4 tbsp Butter (the rich base)
- 4 cloves Garlic (finely minced)
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice (fresh)
- 1/4 tsp Red pepper flakes (optional but recommended)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Pasta
- 8 oz Spaghetti or linguine (cooked al dente)
- 2 qt Salted water (for boiling pasta)
Garnish
- 1/4 cup Fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan (for topping)
Instructions
- Boil pasta: Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water for later use.
- Melt butter: In a spacious skillet over medium heat, melt the butter until it is foamy and lightly sizzling, which will form the flavorful base of your sauce.
- Sauté garlic: Add the finely minced garlic to the skillet and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until the aroma is fragrant and the garlic is tender but not browned.
- Cook shrimp: Season the peeled and deveined shrimp with salt and pepper. Add them to the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes per side, or until the shrimp turn opaque and are cooked through.
- Add flavorings: Stir in the fresh lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Let the mixture simmer for 1 minute to meld the flavors together.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Pour the reserved pasta water into the skillet to loosen the sauce, then add the cooked spaghetti. Toss everything together until the pasta is thoroughly coated with the garlic butter shrimp sauce.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle the dish with chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese to finish. Serve immediately while hot and enjoy.
Notes
- For a spicier kick, increase the amount of red pepper flakes according to your taste.
- Use fresh shrimp for the best flavor and texture; frozen shrimp can be used but should be thoroughly thawed and patted dry before cooking.
- Reserve pasta water is key to creating a silky sauce—don’t skip saving it during draining.
- Garnish with extra Parmesan and parsley for a bright flavor and attractive presentation.
- This recipe can be easily doubled to serve more people.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Keywords: garlic butter shrimp pasta, easy shrimp pasta, quick shrimp dinner, garlic shrimp spaghetti, shrimp linguine
