Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta (Printable)
Juicy shrimp in garlic butter sauce tossed with angel hair pasta, lemon, and Parmesan for a quick weeknight dinner.
# What You'll Need:
→ Seafood
01 - 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
→ Pasta
02 - 12 oz angel hair pasta
→ Sauce
03 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter
04 - 2 tbsp olive oil
05 - 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
06 - ¼ cup dry white wine or chicken broth
07 - 1 lemon, juiced and zested
08 - ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Garnish
10 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
11 - ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
12 - Lemon wedges, for serving
# Directions:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook angel hair pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the starchy pasta water before draining. Set the pasta aside.
02 - Pat the shrimp thoroughly dry with paper towels. Season evenly with a light pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
03 - In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tbsp of butter with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Arrange the shrimp in a single, even layer. Sear for 1 to 2 minutes per side until they turn pink and become opaque throughout. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside.
04 - Return the same skillet to heat and add the remaining 2 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Sauté the thinly sliced garlic and red pepper flakes for approximately 1 minute until fragrant, taking care not to let the garlic brown.
05 - Pour in the dry white wine or chicken broth along with the fresh lemon juice, scraping up any caramelized bits from the bottom of the skillet. Let the liquid simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to reduce slightly, then stir in the lemon zest.
06 - Return the seared shrimp to the skillet and toss gently to coat each piece evenly in the garlic butter sauce.
07 - Add the drained angel hair pasta to the skillet along with splashes of the reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Toss everything together until the pasta is well coated and the sauce reaches a silky consistency.
08 - Taste the finished dish and adjust with additional salt, black pepper, or a squeeze of lemon juice as desired.
09 - Serve immediately in warm bowls, garnished with chopped fresh parsley, grated Parmesan cheese, and lemon wedges alongside.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The whole thing comes together in about 25 minutes, which is faster than waiting for delivery.
- Angel hair pasta soaks up that garlicky butter sauce like nothing else, making every forkful silky and rich.
- It looks restaurant fancy but uses ingredients you probably already have hanging around.
02 -
- Garlic goes from golden to bitter in seconds, so pull the pan off the heat the moment it smells fragrant.
- Reserving that pasta water is not optional, it is the difference between a silky sauce and a dry clumpy mess.
03 -
- Dry shrimp sear, wet shrimp steams, so do not skip the paper towel pat down.
- Grating Parmesan directly over the hot pasta lets it melt into the sauce rather than clumping on top.