Garlic Butter Shrimp Linguine (Print version)

Succulent shrimp sautéed in garlic butter sauce, tossed with linguine for an elegant Italian-American dinner.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

→ Pasta

02 - 12 oz linguine pasta

→ Sauce

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

# Directions:

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 - 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 Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen but you'll be done in under half an hour
  • The garlic butter clings to every strand of pasta and makes your kitchen smell like an Italian coastal restaurant
  • Shrimp cook so fast that even on your most exhausted evenings this feels doable
  • It's fancy enough for guests but simple enough that you won't stress over it
02 -
  • Reserve that pasta water before you drain, because once it's gone down the sink you can't get it back and it's the secret to a sauce that actually clings
  • Don't walk away from the garlic while it's cooking; it goes from perfect to burnt in about ten seconds and burnt garlic tastes bitter and ruins everything
  • Shrimp are done the moment they turn opaque and pink, so pull them off early rather than late because they'll keep cooking in the residual heat
03 -
  • Use a Microplane to zest the lemon directly over the pan so none of those fragrant oils go to waste
  • If your skillet isn't big enough to hold all the shrimp in one layer, cook them in two batches so they sear instead of steam
  • Warm your serving bowls in a low oven for a few minutes before plating, because hot pasta on a cold plate cools down too fast and the butter starts to congeal
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