Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta (Printer-friendly)

Tender shrimp in garlic butter sauce tossed with angel hair pasta. A quick weeknight Italian-inspired dinner.

# What You Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

→ Pasta

02 - 12 oz angel hair pasta

→ Sauce

03 - 4 tbsp (¼ cup) unsalted butter
04 - 2 tbsp olive oil
05 - 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
06 - ¼ cup dry white wine or chicken broth
07 - 1 lemon, juiced and zested
08 - ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

10 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
11 - ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
12 - Lemon wedges, for serving

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook angel hair pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain through a colander, reserving ½ cup of the starchy pasta water. Set the pasta aside.
02 - Pat the shrimp thoroughly dry with paper towels. Season evenly with a light dusting of salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides.
03 - Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Melt 2 tbsp of butter with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Arrange the shrimp in a single, even layer and sear for 1 to 2 minutes per side until they turn pink and become opaque throughout. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, add the remaining 2 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Sauté the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes for approximately 1 minute until fragrant, taking care not to let the garlic brown.
05 - Pour in the dry white wine (or chicken broth) and freshly squeezed lemon juice, scraping up any caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the liquid simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to reduce slightly. Stir in the lemon zest.
06 - Return the seared shrimp to the skillet and toss gently to coat each piece evenly in the garlic butter sauce.
07 - Add the drained angel hair pasta to the skillet along with splashes of the reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce and help it cling to the noodles. Toss everything together using tongs until the pasta is thoroughly coated.
08 - Taste the finished dish and adjust with additional salt, pepper, or a squeeze of lemon juice as desired.
09 - Divide among serving plates immediately. Finish each portion with a generous sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and a lemon wedge on the side.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in the time it takes to boil pasta, which means dinner is basically done before you realize it.
  • The garlic butter sauce clings to every strand of angel hair in a way that feels restaurant worthy but requires zero technique.
  • Shrimp cooked in butter and olive oil turns golden and tender, and it honestly looks like you tried much harder than you did.
02 -
  • Garlic goes from golden to burnt in seconds, so pull the pan off the heat the moment you smell that sweet toasted aroma.
  • Reserving pasta water is not optional here, that starchy liquid is what transforms butter and wine into an actual sauce that clings to the noodles.
03 -
  • Slice the garlic as evenly as possible so every piece cooks at the same rate and nothing catches and burns while you are distracted.
  • A squeeze of lemon right at the end, after plating, wakes up every flavor on the plate in a way that no amount of salt can replicate.

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