Quick Creamy Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta
A quick and easy creamy garlic butter shrimp pasta recipe ready in under 20 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights and crowd-pleasing dinners.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces linguine or spaghetti
- Salted water for boiling
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- Juice of half a lemon
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add linguine or spaghetti and cook according to package instructions (8 to 10 minutes) until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining. Drain pasta and set aside.
- Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes on one side. Flip and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes until shrimp turn pink and opaque. Remove shrimp from skillet and set aside.
- Lower heat to medium-low and add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to skillet. Once melted, pour in heavy cream and stir to combine. Let simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Stir in grated Parmesan cheese until melted and smooth. Add red pepper flakes if using, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Return cooked shrimp to skillet. Add drained pasta and toss together, adding reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time to loosen sauce if too thick. Squeeze juice of half a lemon over pasta and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Toss again to combine.
- Serve immediately with extra Parmesan and parsley if desired.
Notes
Do not overcook shrimp to avoid rubbery texture. Use fresh garlic for best flavor. Simmer cream gently to prevent separation. Reserve pasta water to adjust sauce consistency. Unsalted butter allows better salt control. For dairy-free, substitute butter with olive oil and heavy cream with coconut cream.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approxima
- Calories: 475
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 25
- Saturated Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 35
Keywords: shrimp pasta, garlic butter shrimp, creamy pasta, quick dinner, easy shrimp recipe, weeknight meal