Garlic Butter Shrimp Linguine (Printable)

Succulent shrimp in a silky garlic butter sauce, perfectly tossed with tender linguine for an elegant weeknight dinner.

# What You'll 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

# Step-by-Step Guide:

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 cheese if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It delivers restaurant-quality flavor in under half an hour, which means you can impress guests without the stress.
  • The garlic butter sauce clings to every strand of pasta, creating that perfect bite every single time.
  • You only need one skillet and one pot, so cleanup is minimal and your evening stays relaxed.
  • Shrimp cook so quickly that there's almost no way to mess this up, even on a hectic weeknight.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water; that starchy liquid is the secret to a sauce that clings instead of pools at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Shrimp overcook in seconds, so pull them off the heat the moment they turn opaque, because rubbery shrimp can ruin an otherwise perfect dish.
  • If your garlic starts to brown too quickly, pull the skillet off the heat immediately; burnt garlic tastes bitter and there's no coming back from it.
03 -
  • Use a microplane to zest the lemon directly over the skillet so the aromatic oils fall right into the sauce.
  • If you want deeper garlic flavor without bitterness, add half the garlic with the butter and the other half after the shrimp are done cooking.
  • Toss the pasta in the skillet off the heat for thirty seconds before serving; it gives the noodles time to drink up the sauce without continuing to cook the shrimp.
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