Garlic Butter Shrimp Linguine (Printable)

Succulent shrimp sautéed in garlic butter, tossed with al dente linguine for an elegant, simple pasta dish.

# 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 - 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 comes together in under half an hour but tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.
  • The garlic butter sauce clings to every strand of pasta without feeling heavy or oily.
  • You only need one skillet and one pot, so cleanup is surprisingly quick.
  • It works just as well for a quiet dinner alone as it does for impressing guests on short notice.
02 -
  • Overcooked shrimp turn into little pink erasers, so watch them carefully and pull them off the heat the second they're opaque.
  • If your garlic burns, it will taste bitter and ruin the whole dish; keep the heat at medium and stir constantly.
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water; plain water won't emulsify the sauce the same way.
  • Toss the pasta in the skillet off the heat if you're worried about overcooking the shrimp while everything combines.
03 -
  • Use a large skillet so the shrimp have room to sear; crowding them makes them steam and turn soggy.
  • Taste the pasta water before you salt it; it should taste like the sea, which means the pasta will come out perfectly seasoned.
  • Keep the lemon zest away from the white pith; it's bitter and will overpower the delicate shrimp.
  • Serve this dish immediately; the pasta will soak up the sauce as it sits, and reheated shrimp are never quite the same.
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