Garlic Butter Shrimp Linguine (Printable Version)

Succulent shrimp in garlic butter sauce tossed with al dente linguine. Easy, elegant, and ready in just 25 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

→ Pasta

02 - 12 oz linguine pasta

→ Sauce

03 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
04 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
05 - 6 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
07 - Zest of 1 lemon
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

→ Finishing

09 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
11 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

# Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the linguine according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
02 - Pat the shrimp dry and season lightly with salt and pepper.
03 - In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with olive oil. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes; sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant, but not browned.
04 - Add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook for 2 minutes per side until pink and just cooked through.
05 - Stir in the lemon zest and juice. Add the drained linguine and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time if needed to loosen the sauce.
06 - Remove from heat and toss in the chopped parsley. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
07 - Serve immediately, topped with grated Parmesan if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like something from an expensive Italian restaurant but takes less time than ordering delivery.
  • The garlic butter sauce clings to every strand of pasta in a way that feels almost indulgent.
  • You can pull this off on a weeknight without breaking a sweat or dirtying half your kitchen.
  • Shrimp cook so fast that you barely have time to second guess yourself.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving pasta water, it's the secret to a sauce that actually sticks instead of sliding off.
  • Shrimp go from perfectly cooked to rubbery in less than a minute, so watch them closely and pull them off heat as soon as they curl and turn opaque.
  • If your garlic starts browning too fast, pull the pan off the heat for a moment, burnt garlic turns bitter and there's no coming back from it.
03 -
  • Toss the hot pasta with a tiny drizzle of olive oil right after draining if you're not adding it to the sauce immediately, it keeps the strands from sticking together.
  • For a restaurant quality finish, swirl in an extra tablespoon of cold butter at the very end, it makes the sauce glossy and luxurious.
  • Taste a piece of shrimp before you plate everything, it's the easiest way to know if you need more salt, lemon, or pepper.
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