Quick Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta
A fast and flavorful shrimp pasta dish ready in just 15 minutes, featuring a buttery garlic sauce with a hint of lemon. Perfect for busy weeknights or an easy, comforting dinner.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound medium-sized raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 8 ounces spaghetti or linguine
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- A handful fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add 8 ounces of spaghetti or linguine and cook according to package instructions until al dente (about 9-10 minutes). Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.
- While pasta cooks, pat shrimp dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
- Add shrimp in a single layer and cook 2-3 minutes per side until opaque and pink. Remove shrimp from skillet and set aside.
- Lower heat to medium and add 4 tablespoons unsalted butter to the skillet. Once melted, stir in red pepper flakes (if using) and squeeze in juice from half a lemon. Let simmer for a minute. Add reserved pasta water as needed to loosen sauce.
- Return cooked shrimp to skillet with butter sauce. Add drained pasta and toss together with tongs until well coated. Add more pasta water if needed for desired sauce consistency.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley on top and serve immediately with grated Parmesan cheese on the side.
Notes
Do not overcook shrimp to avoid rubbery texture. Use fresh garlic for best flavor. Reserve pasta water to adjust sauce consistency. For dairy-free, substitute butter with vegan margarine or olive oil and Parmesan with nutritional yeast. Thaw and pat shrimp dry if using frozen. Toss pasta with sauce while hot for best coating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approxima
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 400
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 11
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 35
Keywords: garlic butter shrimp pasta, quick shrimp pasta, easy shrimp dinner, 15 minute pasta, weeknight dinner, garlic shrimp, buttery shrimp pasta