Garlic Butter Shrimp Linguine (Print-Friendly)

Succulent shrimp in garlic butter sauce with al dente linguine. An elegant yet simple dish 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, optional
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, optional

# How To Make It:

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 you spent hours in the kitchen but you're done before your favorite show ends.
  • The garlic butter clings to every strand of pasta in the most satisfying way.
  • Shrimp cook so fast you can't overcook them if you pay attention for just four minutes.
  • It's impressive enough for company but easy enough for a solo weeknight dinner.
02 -
  • Shrimp go from perfectly cooked to rubbery in about thirty seconds, so watch them closely and pull the pan off the heat the moment they turn opaque all the way through.
  • If you skip reserving the pasta water, you'll end up with dry noodles instead of a cohesive sauce, and no amount of extra butter will fix it.
  • Garlic burns fast and tastes acrid when it does, so keep the heat at medium and stir constantly once it hits the pan.
03 -
  • Use a large skillet so the shrimp have room to sear instead of steam, crowding them will leave you with gray, sad shrimp instead of golden, caramelized ones.
  • Toss the pasta in the skillet off the heat so the residual warmth emulsifies the sauce without scrambling anything or making the shrimp tough.
  • Taste the dish before serving and add a pinch of salt or a squeeze of lemon if it feels flat, because the right balance of acid and salt is what makes it memorable.
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