Garlic butter shrimp pasta takes less than 30 minutes to make and tastes amazing — shrimp tossed with a rich butter sauce and pasta? Yes, please!
Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta
When I fall off the wagon I do it in the biggest way possible. A week ago I shared a recipe for egg salad using avocado because I was being “more conscious about what I was eating.” And now? Today I am sharing a garlic butter shrimp pasta recipe that has almost a whole stick of butter. Yep, I’ve definitely fallen off the wagon, but if that means landing in a pan of buttery garlic shrimp than I’d say it’s well worth it. Would you like to join me?
Some Ingredients You’ll Need
- Fresh or frozen shrimp -see the recipe notes for details!
- Butter
- Use a white wine that you like to drink. I used chardonnay, but sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio would work well, too.
- Garlic
- Lemon
- Spaghetti or other long pasta
- Lemon juice and zest
This easy garlic butter shrimp pasta is like a big hug – had a tough week? Dog mad at you? Feeling put-upon and misunderstood? Treat yourself to a pan of this buttery goodness – it’s a really great Friday or Saturday night thank goodness the week is finally over dish. Just don’t make it every week – I can’t advocate that much butter consumption. Tempting? Yes! Wise? Noooooo.
I’ll be eating a whole lot of salads to make up for this one, but it’s worth it!
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Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
This garlic butter shrimp pasta, adapted from Williams Sonoma Taste, is easy to make and so comforting.
Ingredients
- 4 oz spaghetti
- .75 lb shrimp, deveined and tails removed
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 large clove of garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine (I used Chardonnay)
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot heat salted water (should taste like the sea) over high heat. Once boiling, add the spaghetti and cook until al dente.
- In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the shrimp to the pan in a single layer and cook until they turn opaque, about 1-2 minutes per side. Depending on the size of the pan the shrimp may need to be cooked in batches. Once cooked remove from the pan and set aside.
- Next, add 2 tablespoons butter to the pan. Once melted add the garlic and cook until softened. Lower the heat, if necessary, to avoid browning the garlic. Add the wine, zest, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and allow the mixture to reduce for a minute or so. Lower the heat and slowly add in the rest of the butter (1-2 tablespoons at a time). Use a whisk to help the mixture emulsify. Add the cooked shrimp to the sauce and toss to coat. Sprinkle the parsley over the top. Add in the cooked spaghetti and, using tongs, toss everything together. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
You can use fresh or frozen shrimp for this recipe. If using frozen, be sure to fully thaw the shrimp before cooking. This can be done fairly quickly by covering the frozen shrimp in cold water for about 20 minutes. Once thawed, dry the shrimp with a clean dish towel otherwise they won’t cook properly.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Saute
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 of recipe
- Calories: 548
- Sugar: 2.2g
- Sodium: 23.8mg
- Fat: 35.5g
- Saturated Fat: 21.7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11.7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 44.7g
- Fiber: 2.1g
- Protein: 8.3g
- Cholesterol: 94.4mg
Keywords: shrimp pasta recipe, butter garlic pasta, garlic butter shrimp
The nutrition information in this recipe is an estimate only and was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.
Liz says
My husband loves shrimp and I love pasta so this recipe is perfect for the two of us! Plus it’s easy to make!
★★★★★
Sues says
I want to fall off the wagon with you!! Shrimp and pasta and BUTTER are the perfect combination!
★★★★★
Kristen says
Love this recipe! I made it for company the other night and it was a huge hit.
★★★★★
Robin Duncan says
I made this tonight and it was really good. I made the dish per recipe and found it light and tasty despite the 6 tbsp of butter. Husband really enjoyed it. I would make this one again
April says
Hi Robin! Thanks so much for letting me know – so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Chrissie (thebusybaker.ca) says
Your first paragraph made me smile. Yes, I’d agree that is the best way to fall off a wagon 🙂 And this looks like a great recipe!!!
April says
Thanks Chrissie!
Brian Jones says
This looks so good, I am a sucker for seafood, in fact I occasionally wonder why I moved to a landlocked country, fortunately I can on occasions get really great frozen shrimp!
★★★★★
Renee says
A small side salad and this is the perfect meal!!!! It looks delicious and simple to prepare.
April says
It’s so easy, Renee!
Diane says
Gosh this looks so yummy! Yes! I’ll join you!