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.
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 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?
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Just made this fabulous dish and let me just say it’s heavenly!!!!
Delicious! Many thanks for a great recipe!
Just made this for dinner and it’s a keeper for sure. So easy and delicious! I didn’t have any arugula so I used baby spinach and it was fine.
The only thing I wish is that you listed number of calories per serving. Due to the whole stick of butter, I’m assuming I’m over my calorie limit for today but I loved the dish!! Will definitely be making this again.
We didn’t have arugula and we used gf rotini and it was still delicious! All my kids came back for seconds. Will definitely be on the rotation.
Made it yesterday. Everyone loved it!!! I also used spinach instead of arugula 🙂
This dish was easy and very tasty!! I added lots more garlic & butter plus some small varied colored tomatoes at the end!! My dish looked like I spent all day preparing it! Paired with a salad and some garlic bread and wine!! It was a hit!! Definitely a recipe I will use often!!
EXCELLENT !!
I also added spinach instead on arugula (only because that is what I had on hand). Tons of garlic; omitted the parmesan cheese (because I didn’t have any). Added a squeeze of half a lemon while cooking the shrimp. Seasoned the shrimp with fresh grated lemon pepper from Trader Joes. Huge Hit. Thanks.
This is a family favorite. We add the red pepper flakes to our own dish because of small children eating this. This is in heavy rotation at our house because it’s SO good. I usually double the recipe for a family of 5. We like leftovers. I usually have baby spinach on hand so that’s what I typically use. Go, make this now! 🙂
Absolutely delicious! As I am not a fan of arugula, I used spinach instead- it fused perfectly with the other flavors in the dish. I also added some cherry tomatoes for color and a hint of sweetness. Will definitely be making this again!
Quick and easy! Had most of the ingredients at home. Didn’t use arugula and parm. cheese but even without still yummy.
Followed the recipe except for adding the arugula. Instead I sautéed asparagus tips with the shrimp. My family as well as my guest all thought it was fabulous. This will be a go-to for me.
Delicious! Added a bit more garlic. Chopped some fresh cherry tomatoes and sautéed with the (arugala). Squeeze of fresh lemon juice and added about 1/2 cup of pasta water. Will definitely make again. Thank you for the recipe!
It was easy, I used salad shrimp instead. There was plenty of leftovers, it was not too oily, I have a problem with oil foods. My family loved it they want me to make it more often. The clean-up was easy. I think it was one of the best dishes I have made.
Absolutely delicious!
Substituted the red pepper flakes for cayenne pepper
I also used bow tie noodles and added Alfredo sauce
Damn Delicious! I added Rotel tomatoes , mrs dash table blend to substitute oregano. Also added lemon
lemon pepper to the seasoning of shrimp! Will definitely be using this recipe from now on!
Just what I needed and it was amazing
I used fresh spinach instead of arugula. Delicious. Simple.
Unless you don’t like tomatoes, you have to add some cherry tomatoes…I made it with the intention of adding them but forgot. Ate leftovers the next day (which were SO much better than the night of!) and added tomatoes. It really makes it.
I also added some basil and pasta water. Used half the amount of butter and used some olive oil and extra arugula. Add what seems to be too much arugula because it won’t. Make sure to add the arugula and parmesan separately. I personally recommend adding the arugula when the pasta is still on the stove and adding the parmesan for serving. It still melts perfectly IMO.
My go-to pasta dish used to be shrimp scampi, but this takes the lead by far.
Was looking for a light but delicious meal to prepare and this was spot on. Made it as and no leftover! 🙂 this recipe is for keeps.