Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta (Printable)
Juicy shrimp cooked in garlic-chili butter with spaghetti, brightened by lemon and fresh parsley.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz spaghetti or linguine
02 - 1 tablespoon salt (for pasta water)
→ Shrimp
03 - 1 lb large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Garlic-Chili Butter
06 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 5 cloves garlic, finely minced
09 - 1–2 small red chilies, deseeded and thinly sliced or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
10 - Zest of 1 lemon
11 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
12 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
→ Optional Garnish
13 - Extra chopped parsley
14 - Grated Parmesan cheese
15 - Lemon wedges
# How-To Steps:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
02 - Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Season evenly with salt and black pepper.
03 - In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter with olive oil. Add minced garlic and sliced chilies, sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant without browning.
04 - Add shrimp in a single layer to the skillet. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side until shrimp turn pink and opaque.
05 - Stir in lemon zest and lemon juice, coating shrimp evenly.
06 - Add drained pasta directly to the skillet. Toss to combine with shrimp and garlic-chili butter. Adjust sauce consistency with reserved pasta water if needed.
07 - Stir in chopped parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice if desired.
08 - Plate immediately and garnish with extra parsley, grated Parmesan, and lemon wedges as preferred.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when you actually spent thirty minutes.
- The garlic-chili butter is spicy, garlicky, and deeply satisfying without being overwhelming.
- You can make this on a Tuesday night with ingredients you likely already have.
02 -
- Don't skip patting the shrimp dry—wet shrimp steam instead of sear, and the whole dish loses that caramelized depth.
- Reserve that pasta water before you drain; it's the secret to a sauce that clings instead of pools at the bottom.
03 -
- Buy shrimp the day you plan to cook if possible; frozen shrimp are fine, but they release more water when thawing, which can dilute your sauce.
- Keep the heat at medium so the garlic becomes golden and mellow rather than bitter and burned—this one choice determines whether dinner tastes homey or burnt.