Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta
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An easy peasy pasta dish that’s simple, flavorful and hearty. And all you need is 20 min to whip this up!
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Spring is here and it’s all about staying in, wearing your favorite sweatpants and cooking up some major comfort food. Specifically, 20 min quick comfort food with al dente pasta, quick pan-fried garlicky shrimp, and sneaked in greens, all topped with freshly grated Parmesan.
And let me share with you again – this comes together lightening fast. You can whip up the garlicky, buttery shrimp so quickly while your pasta cooks through. And with wide, long strand fettuccine noodles, we have just enough space to coat all that silky buttery heavenly goodness.
It’s the most perfect quick and easy dinner – for family, for friends, for company. All of the above. It’s all just so so good.
tips and tricks for success
- Fresh pasta goes a long way. We love using 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.
- 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 options.
what to serve with shrimp pasta
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.
Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta
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.
- 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.
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I would very much love to make this but I cannot have butter or margarine. Do you think avacado oil would work?
Yes!
Just made this. Absolutely delicious. You can hardly taste the red pepper flakes but TOTALLY adds a layer of flavor. I did not add any “greens” as I made this on a whim. Believe me, I do NOT cook often. MAYBE once a month, ask my husband. Delicious, easy, and packed with comfort. Thank you!!
Just made this! So easy & positively deish! Had to use Spinach instead of arugula- paired with a blush wine (i didnt measure much- just threw the ingredients in, to taste). I wish be making this again!!!!!!!
Ive never cooked before .. but want to try . When cooking shrimp .. how much is enough salt and pepper 🙁 im horrible at this 🙁
It is really best to add, to taste, to suit your preferences.
I used olive oil instead of butter and paired this with sautéed kale and sprinkled feta instead of Parmesan simply because it was what I had at home and I was very satisfied! Delicious meal that can easily be personalized, thanks for the recipe!
Made this tonight. Wonderful flavor and easy to make! Thanks so much.
I just made this recipe with a few changes. I didn’t have arugula so I added beet greens when I added the shrimp to cook. It was delicious and so easy and quick to make. The hardest part was deshelling the shrimp. Jazzies.
I got angel hair can i use that ?
Yes!
I use spinach instead of arugula because I can’t always find it. Also, I add sautéed mushrooms because I love mushrooms. I sautée them in some butter, white wine, & garlic pepper.
Damn delicious!!!
Yum! I thought I’d add mushrooms next time!
This was so delicious, I did modify and added few things. I grilled the shrimp for presentation look and added grilled sweet peppers and cherry tomatoes. With the noodles and garlic butter sauce I added fresh basil with the baby arugula. My wife loved this dish. Thank you!
I will be making this but will double the recipe because we have 5 people in the house. Would the dish still turn out fine if I used salted butter instead?
Yes.
I like a lot of sauce with my pasta. Could I add cream to this to get it saucy-er? What about a splash of wine?
Yes, absolutely. What a great idea!
i just found your recipe. it’s looks easy i will try Sunday dinner. looking forward. thanks more great recipes.
Found this recipe less than 2wks ago and have made it 3times! Its so easy and so delicious!
I have made this on numerous occasions. My son wants to thank the genius chef who came up with this recipe. Absolutely delicious! Thank you from the both of us.
I made this last night for a family dinner party and it was a HUGE hit with everyone. Absolutely delicious and so easy to make. So glad to have come across this recipe, thanks!
We made it tonight, and it was… orgasmic!!!
Thank you very much for this recipe!
I made this recipe tonight and it was very tasty! There were some comments about substituting argula with other greens, such as spinach or kale. But honestly the argula gave the meal a distinct flavor. So good! Thanks!
What about grilling the shrimp Cajun style to make it a little spicy then mixing it into the sauce? I am just thinking of ways to make this dish a little spicy!
That sounds amazing!
Love this recipe! I made a double batch for a party and then made it again since everyone ate it up. Just be aware that the crushed red pepper can give it quite a bite. I loved it, but my son who does not like hot spice did not.