Description
A quick, one-skillet weeknight dinner featuring creamy garlic butter sauce, tender shrimp, and pasta. Ready in just 20 minutes with minimal cleanup.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 tablespoons (60g) unsalted butter
- 6–8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound (450g) linguine or fettuccine
- ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
- 1 pound (450g) frozen wild-caught shrimp, peeled, deveined, and patted dry
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ½ cup (50g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup pasta water (reserved from cooking pasta)
Instructions
- Prep ingredients: Chop parsley, mince garlic, measure cream, and pat shrimp dry. Season shrimp with salt and pepper.
- Boil pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente (8-10 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining. Do not rinse pasta.
- Sauté aromatics: While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant but not browned.
- Cook shrimp: Add shrimp to the skillet in a single layer. Sauté for 1-2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Remove shrimp from skillet and set aside.
- Build sauce: Pour heavy cream and lemon juice into the same skillet. Simmer for 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Combine: Add drained pasta and cooked shrimp back to the skillet. Toss to coat. Gradually add Parmesan cheese, stirring until melted. Adjust consistency with reserved pasta water if needed. Stir in parsley.
- Serve: Serve immediately topped with extra Parmesan, black pepper, and lemon wedges.
Notes
Pat shrimp dry before cooking to ensure proper browning. Save pasta water for the sauce. Do not overcook shrimp. Remove pan from heat before adding cheese to prevent graininess. This recipe does not freeze well due to the dairy sauce.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Approximately 1.5 cu
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 350
- Fat: 16
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 52
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 28
Keywords: garlic butter shrimp pasta, quick dinner, one skillet meal, weeknight dinner, creamy shrimp pasta, 20 minute meals