Garlic Butter Shrimp Linguine (Printer-friendly)

Succulent shrimp in garlic butter sauce tossed with al dente linguine. Simple, elegant, and ready in just 25 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

→ Pasta

02 - 12 oz linguine pasta

→ Sauce

03 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
04 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
05 - 6 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
07 - Zest of 1 lemon
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

→ Finishing

09 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
11 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the linguine according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
02 - While the pasta cooks, pat the shrimp dry and season lightly with salt and pepper.
03 - In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with olive oil. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes; sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant, but not browned.
04 - Add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook for 2 minutes per side until pink and just cooked through.
05 - Stir in the lemon zest and juice. Add the drained linguine and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time if needed to loosen the sauce.
06 - Remove from heat and toss in the chopped parsley. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
07 - Serve immediately, topped with grated Parmesan if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like a restaurant splurge but costs less than takeout and takes half the time.
  • The garlic butter sauce clings to every strand of pasta, so each bite is as good as the last.
  • You can make it on a weeknight and still feel like you accomplished something special.
  • Leftovers reheat surprisingly well, though they rarely make it to the next day.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water; it's the secret to a sauce that clings instead of puddles at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Shrimp go from perfect to rubbery in seconds, so pull them off the heat as soon as they turn pink.
  • If your garlic burns even a little, it'll taste bitter and ruin the whole dish, so keep the heat at medium and watch it closely.
03 -
  • Use the largest skillet you have so the shrimp cook evenly and the pasta has room to toss without clumping.
  • Zest the lemon before you juice it; it's nearly impossible to zest a squeezed lemon half.
  • Taste the pasta water before you drain it; if it's as salty as the sea, your pasta will be perfectly seasoned.
  • Always add the parsley at the very end so it stays bright green and doesn't wilt into the sauce.
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