Quick Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta: Easy 20-Minute Dinner
This quick garlic butter shrimp pasta is a fast, family-friendly dinner that comes together in just 20 minutes. With simple pantry ingredients and a silky garlic butter sauce, it’s restaurant-quality comfort food that everyone will love.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces linguine or spaghetti
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- While pasta cooks, pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter. Once melted and bubbling, add shrimp in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for 2 minutes, then flip and cook for 1-2 minutes until pink and opaque. Transfer to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Once melted, add minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Pour in white wine (or broth) and scrape up browned bits from the pan. Let simmer for about 2 minutes until reduced by half.
- Add lemon juice and about 1/4 cup reserved pasta water. Stir to combine.
- Add drained pasta to the skillet. Toss to coat in the sauce, adding more pasta water if needed.
- Return cooked shrimp to the skillet. Toss gently to warm through, about 30 seconds.
- Remove from heat. Stir in fresh parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately with extra parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Don’t rinse pasta after draining; the starch helps the sauce stick. Use room temperature shrimp for better searing. Reserve more pasta water than you think you need. For a dairy-free version, substitute butter with olive oil or plant-based butter.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 485
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 680
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 9
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 32
Keywords: garlic butter shrimp pasta, quick dinner, 20-minute meal, shrimp pasta, easy pasta recipe