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15-Minute Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta: Easy Best Dinner

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This quick and easy garlic butter shrimp pasta comes together in just 15 minutes, featuring tender shrimp, a rich garlic butter sauce, and perfectly al dente pasta. It’s a weeknight lifesaver that even shrimp skeptics will love.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 ounces spaghetti or linguine
  • 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
  • Grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. Start the pasta water. Fill your large pot with water, salt it generously, and bring it to a rolling boil. While you wait, pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and season them lightly with salt and pepper.
  2. Cook the pasta. Once the water is boiling, add your spaghetti or linguine and cook according to package directions until al dente. Before you drain it, scoop out 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water and set it aside.
  3. Sear the shrimp. While the pasta cooks, heat your large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and let it melt until it’s foamy and just starting to brown—about 1 minute. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook for 1-2 minutes per side until they’re pink and opaque. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and set them aside.
  4. Build the garlic butter sauce. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet. Once melted, add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant but not brown.
  5. Deglaze the pan. Pour in the white wine and lemon juice, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Let the liquid simmer for about 1-2 minutes until it reduces slightly.
  6. Combine everything. Drain the pasta (reserving that pasta water!) and add the hot pasta directly to the skillet with the garlic butter sauce. Toss everything together with tongs, adding the reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce coats the noodles beautifully.
  7. Add the shrimp back. Return the cooked shrimp to the skillet, along with the fresh parsley. Toss gently to combine and warm the shrimp through. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed. Serve immediately with a generous shower of grated Parmesan.

Notes

Pat shrimp dry for best sear. Watch garlic closely to avoid burning. Reserve more pasta water than needed. Taste and adjust seasoning as you go.

Nutrition

Keywords: garlic butter shrimp pasta, quick dinner, weeknight meal, shrimp pasta, 15-minute recipe

Find it online: https://sweetstirring.com/15-minute-garlic-butter-shrimp-pasta-easy-best-dinner/