Garlic Butter Shrimp Linguine (Printable Version)

Tender shrimp in garlic butter sauce paired with silky linguine. An easy, elegant Italian-American pasta dish ready in minutes.

# Ingredient List:

→ Seafood

01 - 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

→ Pasta

02 - 12 oz linguine pasta

→ Sauce

03 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter
04 - 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
05 - 6 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
07 - Zest of 1 lemon
08 - 2 tbsp 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 a restaurant splurge but costs a fraction and takes less time than ordering delivery.
  • The garlic butter clings to every strand of pasta, and the shrimp stay tender instead of rubbery.
  • You can pull this together on a weeknight without breaking a sweat or dirtying a mountain of dishes.
02 -
  • Overcooking shrimp turns them into little erasers, so pull them off the heat the second they turn opaque, they'll finish cooking in the residual heat.
  • If you skip reserving pasta water, you'll end up with a dry, clumpy dish instead of a silky sauce that hugs the noodles.
  • Browning the garlic even a little bit makes it taste acrid and ruins the whole sauce, so keep the heat moderate and watch it closely.
03 -
  • Use a large skillet so the shrimp have room to sear instead of crowding and steaming, which keeps them tender and golden.
  • Toss the pasta in the skillet off the heat so the butter emulsifies with the pasta water into a silky sauce instead of splitting.
  • Save any leftovers in the fridge and reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water or broth, never the microwave, which turns shrimp rubbery.
Return