Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta
by Chungah
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Garlicky shrimp and fettuccine topped with fresh Parmesan! Quick for busy weeknights but fancy enough for weekend company! So simple so good.
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Why you’ll love this garlic butter shrimp pasta
- 20 minute quick pasta recipe. This dinner comes together so quickly. You can whip up the garlicky, buttery shrimp so fast while your pasta cooks through.
- So comforting, so hearty. We’re talking easy comfort food with quick pan-fried garlicky shrimp, and sneaked in leafy greens (for all the picky eaters), all topped with freshly grated Parmesan. And with wide, long strand fettuccine noodles, we have just enough space to coat all that silky buttery heavenly goodness.
- Perfect for all occasions. With its fast cook time, this restaurant-quality dish is perfect for family during those busy weeknights, for friends and weekend company. Simply dress it up with some crusty bread and a simple side salad – they will be so impressed!
types of shrimp
Wild caught shrimp vs. farmed shrimp
Farmed shrimp are raised in controlled environments, whereas wild caught shrimp have been caught in their natural habitats by fishermen. Wild caught shrimp is generally preferred over farmed shrimp primarily due to taste.
Frozen vs. fresh shrimp
Unless you reside in a coastal area, the “fresh shrimp” on display at your local grocery store have already been previously frozen at sea. Frozen shrimp offers ultimate freshness (flash-frozen as soon as they are caught) and flexibility, using only what you need for dinner. Bottom line, frozen shrimp will taste better and cook better.
How to make garlic butter shrimp pasta
- Boil the pasta. Cook the pasta (use long strand pasta such as fettuccine, linguine or spaghetti) until al dente, draining well.
- Cook the shrimp. While the pasta cooks, season the shrimp with salt and pepper before cooking on a hot cast iron skillet with all the aromatics. Cook in batches if needed – overcrowding the pan will lead to poor searing and chewy, rubbery shrimp!
- Combine everything together. Add the remaining butter, cooked pasta, leafy greens (arugula or spinach), Parmesan and cooked shrimp to the pan.
- Serve. Finish with parsley and an additional sprinkle of Parmesan, if needed.
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta: Frequently Asked Questions
You can thaw frozen shrimp overnight, transferring it from the freezer to the fridge the day before. For a quick thaw, you can run them under cold water until completely thawed, about 5-10 minutes. Pat them dry as thoroughly as possible to remove any excess moisture (so they can brown nicely and evenly).
Fresh or dried long strands of pasta such as fettuccine, linguine or spaghetti will all work very well.
Absolutely! You can substitute thyme or rosemary (dried or fresh!) or any other herb of your choosing. And because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
Baby spinach and kale are both nutrient-rich and great alternatives for sneaked-in leafy greens.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta
Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fettuccine, linguine, or spaghetti
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cups baby arugula or spinach
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
- Season shrimp with salt and pepper, to taste; set aside.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Working in batches, add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until pink, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.
- Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in the skillet. Stir in pasta, arugula and Parmesan until arugula begins to wilt, about 2 minutes. Stir in shrimp.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Equipment
Notes
- Fresh pasta goes a long way. Use homemade pasta whenever possible as it is much smoother and silkier (and cooks much faster than store-bought!).
- Use high-quality shrimp. Medium or large wild-caught shrimp are much more meatier and juicier than farm-raised shrimp.
- Buy frozen shrimp. For superior quality and freshness, use frozen shrimp but avoid the bags with freezer burn. Opt for a quick thaw under cold running water for about 5-10 minutes, drying thoroughly.
- Know your shrimp size. Shrimp size is calculated on number of shrimp per pound. The smaller the number, the larger your shrimp. There are about 40-50 medium shrimp per pound.
- Long strand-like pasta is ideal. Fettuccine is a great pasta to use because it holds up sauce very well. Linguine, spaghetti or angel hair pasta are also good options.
- Add in leafy greens. This is a great recipe to sneak in leafy greens for those picky eaters. Arugula, spinach, kale, collard greens or swiss chard are all great additions.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
Made it for my family and they loved it, used spinach and it came out great.
Great addition!
Hi I don’t have parmesan cheese on hand but I do have fontina cheese. Will this work, you think?
Casandra, parmesan cheese is truly best for this recipe. But as always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
Excellent! I halved some little grape tomatoes and sautéed with withthe garlic added some nice color and flavor:)
Sweet! I bet it was yummy!
Family approved meal! So quick and easy. I used spinach instead of arugula and a little extra parmesan cheese.
That sounds so yummy!
This looks amazing! Could you substitute chicken for shrimp?
Absolutely!
thanks so much for your response! Would you recommend cooking the chicken separately and pouring the sauce over? I’m so excited to try this tonight- I don’t eat seafood but the smell of scampi always gets me! Thanks
Yes, that sounds perfect, Colleen!
I would like to try this recipe. But I am allergic to shrimp. Can I use chicken instead. Or what can I use in place of shrimp.
Hi Glenda, yes you can substitute the shrimp for any other protein you like. However, cooking times may vary with different ingredients, so please use your best judgement when it comes to substitutions and modifications.
I added some drained canned spinach to the end and stirred it in. I was a little hesitant, but it didn’t badly affect the taste at all.
Way to improvise Laura. You never know unless you try. Thanks for sharing!
My son and granddaughter really liked the recipe and suggested making it for the entire family when we’re all together.
That in itself, is a compliment to you and this recipe.
I don’t often get a nod of approval at the dinner table. I respect that he has his own style of cooking but, this was
a great evening for me! I have to admit after cooking for so many years, dinners become routine and slightly on the side of boring; I was concerned about cooking the shrimp. It turned out with a professional presentation. Thank you.
First of all….. I made this and it was AMAZING!!! This is like the 3rd recipe of yours that I have tried and they have all been amazing!!! Please stop!!! I love to cook and share my food but I can’t keep up at this rate!! You are an incredible chef! Thank you so much for sharing such beauty!!
I went back through all the comments & Did not see mine there & I went very slow 2 Make sure I did not miss it & Then double checked & Still did not see what I shared.
How long does it take Be for it’s Moderated? Just wondering.
Hi Michelle. I receive over 200+ comments a day so it takes anywhere from 24-48 hours for all comments to be moderated. Thank you for your patience!
What other meats could I use to substitute the shrimp? Would chicken breasts be good enough?
Chicken breasts would be a great substitute.
My son and granddaughter really liked the recipe and suggested making it for the entire family when we’re all together.
That in itself, is a compliment to you and this recipe.
I don’t often get a nod of approval at the dinner table. I respect that he has his own style of cooking but, this was
a great evening for me! I have to admit after cooking for so many years, dinners become routine and slightly on the side of boring; I was concerned about cooking the shrimp. It turned out with a professional presentation. Thank you.
I made this tonight and it is delicious!! Doubled recipe for leftovers. Finicky hubs raved about it. I highly recommend. I didn’t have arugula so just used parsley. Flavors are perfect. Thank you for posting.
Amazing. Even though I haven’t cooked yet.
This is a phenomenal recipe! I had to substitute with PC frozen jumbo shrimp but made it exactly according to your directions..,amazing! I’m positively humming with garlic. I’ve just finished cleaning up and I’m now happily tottering over to my couch to have my heart attack from all of that gorgeous butter. Love, love, LOVE!
First of all….. I made this and it was AMAZING!!! This is like the 3rd recipe of yours that I have tried and they have all been amazing!!! Please stop!!! I love to cook and share my food but I can’t keep up at this rate!! You are an incredible chef! Thank you so much for sharing such beauty!!
Try using royal reds if you can find them instead of the browns. They come from deeper water and taste almost like lobster.
After finding this recipe on Pinterest I made this for dinner tonight it was amazing! Will definitely be making it again.
My 19yo son made this for dinner tonight as he is home this summer from college. It was a huge hit with everyone. He had to substitute cayenne pepper for the chili flakes, but it was still very tasty. He served it with garlic bread and doubled the recipe for five of us. Honestly, we did not have any leftovers. It was indulgent b/c of the butter, but sinfully delicious!!! Thank you!
Made this – delish and super easy!!! I made a couple of adjustments – used broccoli instead of arugula; seasoned the shrimp with adobo seasoning with lemon pepper seasoning; and cooked the pasta in chicken broth. (Sorry, I know – its annoying when people say they made it and don’t follow the recipe haha) Warning – the shrimp cooks pretty fast so make sure you keep an eye on it!