Garlic Butter Shrimp Linguine (Print Version)

Succulent shrimp sautéed in garlic butter sauce, tossed with al dente linguine. Simple, elegant, and ready in 25 minutes.

# 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

# 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 and set aside.
02 - Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt and black pepper.
03 - In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with olive oil. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes, sautéing for approximately 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
04 - Add the shrimp in a single layer to the skillet. Cook for 2 minutes per side until the shrimp turns pink and is cooked through.
05 - Stir in the lemon zest and fresh lemon juice. Add the drained linguine and toss thoroughly to coat, adding reserved pasta water gradually if needed to achieve desired sauce consistency.
06 - Remove from heat and toss in the chopped parsley. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
07 - Plate immediately and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It tastes like a fancy restaurant dish but comes together faster than ordering takeout.
  • The garlic butter clings to every strand of pasta, making each bite ridiculously satisfying.
  • You can adjust the heat and lemon to match your mood without ruining anything.
  • Cleanup is minimal because everything happens in one skillet and one pot.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water, that starchy liquid is what turns melted butter into an actual sauce that clings.
  • Pull the shrimp off the heat the moment they turn opaque, carryover heat will finish cooking them and leaving them in too long makes them tough.
  • Add the garlic after the butter melts, not before, or it'll burn in the time it takes the butter to heat up.
03 -
  • Use a microplane to zest the lemon directly over the pan so none of those fragrant oils go to waste.
  • If your skillet isn't big enough to hold all the shrimp in one layer, cook them in two batches so they sear instead of steam.
  • Toss the hot pasta with a drizzle of olive oil right after draining if you're not adding it to the sauce immediately, it'll keep the strands from sticking together.
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