Garlic Butter Shrimp Linguine (Printable)

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

# What You’ll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

→ Pasta

02 - 12 ounces 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

# Directions:

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 - While the pasta cooks, 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 Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen but you will be done in twenty five minutes start to finish.
  • The buttery garlic sauce clings to every strand of pasta and makes even a weeknight feel like a celebration.
  • You can swap ingredients based on what you have and it still turns out restaurant quality every single time.
02 -
  • Do not skip reserving the pasta water, I forgot once and had to add plain water which made the sauce thin and greasy instead of creamy.
  • Pat the shrimp completely dry before they hit the pan, otherwise they will release water and you will end up boiling them instead of searing.
  • Keep the heat at medium when cooking garlic, high heat will burn it in seconds and leave a bitter taste you cannot fix.
03 -
  • Use tongs to toss the pasta in the skillet instead of a spoon, it gives you better control and keeps the strands from breaking.
  • Grate your Parmesan fresh right before serving, the pre grated stuff does not melt into the sauce the same way and tastes like cardboard.
  • If you are making this for a crowd, cook the shrimp in batches so they have room to sear instead of crowding the pan and steaming.
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