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Quick Creamy Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta

creamy garlic butter shrimp pasta - featured image
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A quick and easy 20-minute dinner featuring tender shrimp in a rich, creamy garlic butter sauce tossed with linguine or spaghetti. Perfect for a comforting yet indulgent weeknight meal.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound (450 g) peeled and deveined medium shrimp (fresh or thawed frozen; wild-caught preferred)
  • 8 ounces (225 g) linguine or spaghetti
  • 4 tablespoons (60 g) unsalted butter, divided
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
  • ½ cup (50 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add linguine or spaghetti and cook according to package instructions until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Reserve ½ cup (120 ml) pasta water before draining. Drain pasta and set aside.
  2. While pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook 1-2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Remove shrimp and set aside.
  3. Lower heat to medium, add remaining 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter to skillet. Once melted, add minced garlic and sauté gently for 1-2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Add red pepper flakes if using.
  4. Pour in heavy cream and stir to combine. Let sauce simmer gently for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted and sauce is silky smooth.
  5. Add cooked pasta and shrimp back to skillet. Toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time if sauce is too thick. Squeeze in lemon juice and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
  6. Sprinkle chopped parsley over the top and serve immediately while warm and creamy.

Notes

Avoid overcooking shrimp to keep them tender; remove when pink and curled into a loose ‘C’ shape. Use fresh grated Parmesan for best sauce texture. Save some pasta water to loosen sauce if needed. For dairy-free, substitute heavy cream with coconut cream and butter with plant-based alternatives.

Nutrition

Keywords: shrimp pasta, creamy garlic butter sauce, quick dinner, easy shrimp recipe, weeknight meal, garlic butter shrimp, creamy pasta, seafood pasta

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