Garlic Butter Shrimp Linguine (Printer-friendly)

Succulent shrimp sautéed in garlic butter and tossed with al dente linguine. An elegant, simple Italian-American pasta dish.

# What You Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

→ Pasta

02 - 12 ounces 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

# How to Make It:

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 - While the pasta cooks, 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 approximately 1 minute until fragrant, avoiding browning.
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 gradually 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 if desired.

# Cooking Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen but really takes less time than most delivery orders.
  • The garlic butter clings to every strand of pasta and makes each bite feel indulgent without being heavy.
  • You probably already have most of the ingredients, and shrimp cooks so quickly there's almost no room for error.
02 -
  • Don't skip drying the shrimp, I learned that the hard way when my first batch steamed instead of seared and the texture was all wrong.
  • Reserve that pasta water before you drain, I forgot once and had to add plain water which just made everything watery instead of silky.
  • Pull the shrimp off heat the second they turn pink, they'll keep cooking in the residual heat and you want them tender not chewy.
03 -
  • Use a large skillet so the shrimp have room to sear without crowding, or cook them in two batches if needed.
  • Grate the lemon zest directly over the pan so those fragrant oils fall right into the sauce instead of sticking to your cutting board.
  • Toss the pasta in the skillet off heat for the last 30 seconds, it absorbs the flavors better without overcooking the shrimp.
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