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–+ servings
Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta

Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta

Yield: 4 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Garlicky shrimp and fettuccine topped with fresh Parmesan! Quick for busy weeknights but fancy enough for weekend company! So simple so good.
4.9 stars (152 ratings)

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

Equipment

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.

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.