Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta (Print View)
Tender shrimp cooked in garlic-chili butter with spaghetti, lemon, and fresh parsley for a spicy, flavorful meal.
# Ingredient List:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 ounces spaghetti or linguine
02 - 1 tablespoon salt (for pasta water)
→ Shrimp
03 - 1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Garlic-Chili Butter
06 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 5 cloves garlic, finely minced
09 - 1 to 2 small red chilies, deseeded and thinly sliced, or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
10 - Zest of 1 lemon
11 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
12 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
→ Optional Garnish
13 - Extra chopped parsley
14 - Grated Parmesan cheese
15 - Lemon wedges
# How to Make:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain.
02 - Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Season evenly with salt and black pepper.
03 - In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter with olive oil. Add minced garlic and sliced chilies, sautéing for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant without browning.
04 - Add shrimp in a single layer to skillet. Cook 1 to 2 minutes per side until shrimp turn pink and opaque.
05 - Stir in lemon zest and lemon juice, coating the shrimp evenly.
06 - Add drained pasta to the skillet with shrimp and garlic-chili butter. Toss thoroughly to combine. Add reserved pasta water gradually if needed to loosen the sauce.
07 - Stir in chopped parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice as preferred.
08 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra parsley, grated Parmesan, and lemon wedges if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The shrimp cooks in minutes, so you're eating fresh, restaurant-quality food before you'd even finish scrolling through takeout menus.
- That garlic-chili butter coats everything so perfectly that you'll find yourself scraping the pan and soaking bread in the leftovers.
- It feels fancy enough to serve guests, but honest enough that you'll make it on a random Tuesday just for yourself.
02 -
- Shrimp cook so fast that the line between perfect and rubbery is about thirty seconds, so commit to standing right there and watching it happen.
- Reserve that pasta water before you drain—it's liquid gold for loosening the sauce and bringing everything together into something silky rather than clumpy.
- Taste as you go, especially with lemon and salt, because these balance everything and what seems bold in the pan often becomes subtle once the pasta is added.
03 -
- Have everything prepped before you light the stove—this moves too fast to do any chopping once heat is involved.
- If you're cooking for a crowd, you can prep the garlic-chili oil ahead of time and reheat it gently just before adding the shrimp, which takes some pressure off.