Description
This Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta is a weeknight dinner hero—rich, buttery, and bursting with fresh garlic and lemon zest. Tossed with tender shrimp and al dente noodles, it’s an easy and elegant meal ready in under 30 minutes!
Ingredients
8 oz fettuccine or spaghetti
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil (for cooking shrimp)
Instructions
-
Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
-
While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 1-2 minutes per side until pink and cooked through. Remove from skillet.
-
In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
-
Return pasta and shrimp to the skillet. Add lemon juice, zest, and Parmesan cheese. Toss everything together until well coated in the garlic butter sauce.
-
Top with chopped parsley and serve hot.
Notes
-
You can substitute spaghetti with linguine or angel hair pasta.
-
Add a splash of pasta water if the sauce feels too thick.
-
For extra richness, stir in a splash of heavy cream before serving.
-
Use pre-cooked shrimp to save time—just warm through with the garlic butter.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American