This creamy Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta Recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make but tastes deliciously indulgent. It’s simple but also fancy enough that you can make it for date night at home or an easy weeknight meal. Serve it with a crusty baguette and your favorite white wine.
Looking for more ways to cook shrimp? Try our simple Coconut Shrimp Recipe, Shrimp Veggie Stir Fry, or these Amazing Shrimp Rolls.
Some of my favorite recipes are the ones that are super simple to make but taste like I spent a million hours in the kitchen. This easy Shrimp Pasta Recipe is one for the books! The freshly squeezed lemon juice and minced garlic in a creamy butter sauce are so flavorful and will make your tastebuds dance. It’s hard to believe so much delicious flavor can come together in less than 30 minutes.
I hope you love this easy 30-minute dinner as much as we do!
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Lodge Oval casserole, 2 Quart, Blue
What is in Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta?
For me personally, I like pasta like linguine, fettuccine, spaghetti or tagliatelle. You can also put seafood into shells, lasagna, or serve it with a penne too.
Not only is this Garlic Shrimp Pasta incredibly easy to make, but it also only requires a few ingredients. You should be able to find everything you need at any major grocery store.
Ingredients:
Pasta – I used one pound of Fettuccine, but you could also use Linguine.
Shrimp – Look for Medium Shrimp that are shelled and deveined. Tail on or off is fine. You can use frozen; just make sure to thaw it in the fridge before you are ready to begin. For a fast method, you can run them under cold water in a sieve until just thawed.
Butter – Use salted butter for this shrimp pasta.
Garlic – The garlic is the star of this show and adds so much delicious flavor to the butter sauce.
Italian Seasoning – Add just a pinch for enhanced flavor in the butter sauce.
Chicken Broth or Heavy Cream – If you want a lighter pasta dish, use broth. If you want a creamy shrimp pasta, use the heavy cream.
Parmesan Cheese – Grate your own Parmesan for the best results.
Lemon Juice – If possible, use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor. The Lemon Garlic flavor combo in this pasta dish is out of this world!
For Serving: Fresh Parsley and Parmesan cheese.
How to Make Creamy Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta
First, prepare a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil for the pasta. Follow the package instructions for al dente pasta.
While the pasta is cooking, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring often, until the shrimp is pink.
Next, add in the minced garlic and a generous pinch of Italian seasoning and cook for an additional minute.
Add the cream or broth to the skillet and bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low and simmer gently for 2 to 4 minutes, or until sauce has reduced. The remaining butter is next and gently stir until it is melted and creamy. Stir the freshly grated Parmesan into the cream sauce. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
Remove from heat (to prevent curdling the sauce) and stir in the lemon juice. Pour the mixture over the cooked pasta noodles and gently toss to coat the pasta well.
Serve immediately with fresh parsley, a side of crusty bread, fresh lemon slices, and a side of your favorite white wine. You’ll love every bite of this creamy shrimp pasta! It’s packed with flavor and is deliciously satisfying.
Recipe Pro Tips!
Great Tips for Pasta
- Always salt your pasta water to the salinity of the sea, meaning put a small handful into a large pot of boiling water. This doesn’t have to be measured, but you want the pasta to be seasoned. It makes a difference.
- Use a large pot and a large amount of water, like 4 quarts for a pound of pasta.
- Cook your pasta until al dente, which means it is still firm when bitten. To get this right, you can taste it as it cooks.
- Don’t add olive oil to your water, as this just makes the pasta slippery, and your sauce won’t stick.
- Stir your pasta once it is in the water to avoid clumping.
- Reserve some of the pasta water for your sauce. This starchy water is perfect for making a sauce thinner.
- Don’t rinse your pasta; this takes away all that lovely starch on the outside of the pasta that your sauce will cling to, plus it cools off your pasta.
WANT MORE DELICIOUS PASTA RECIPES?
We love pasta here at the Nolands, homemade or a quick-fix dinner!! It is something we enjoy very much. Here are some of our favorites.
Creamy Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound fettuccine pasta or similar
- 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp shelled and deveined
- 8 tablespoons salted butter divided
- generous pinch of Italian seasoning
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2/3 cup heavy cream or broth
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan plus more for serving
- juice from half a medium lemon
- Fresh Parsley for serving
- Lemon Wedges for serving
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions for al dente noodles.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt two tablespoons of butter. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until shrimp is pink.
- Add the garlic and Italian seasoning to the skillet and cook, stirring often, for an additional minute.
- Pour in the cream and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 to 4 minutes or until sauce is reduced. Add in the remaining butter and gently stir until it is melted and creamy. Stir in the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Remove the skillet from the heat (to prevent curdling) and stir in the lemon juice.
- Pour the mixture over the cooked pasta and gently toss until the noodles are well coated in the cream sauce. Serve immediately with fresh parsley, additional lemon wedges, and Parmesan.
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