Description
A quick, elegant weeknight dinner featuring seared shrimp in a rich garlic butter sauce with lemon and parsley, ready in just 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 pound spaghetti or linguine
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6–8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio)
- 1/4 cup chicken broth (low-sodium)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 large lemon (zested and juiced)
- 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon salt (for pasta water)
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Prep ingredients: Mince garlic, chop parsley, zest and juice lemon, and measure wine and cream. Pat frozen or fresh shrimp dry with paper towels.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain pasta and set aside.
- While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and sear for 1-2 minutes per side until pink. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the same pan. Let it melt and foam, then turn light golden. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes; cook for 1 minute until fragrant but not brown.
- Pour in white wine and scrape up browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 1 minute to reduce slightly.
- Stir in chicken broth and heavy cream. Simmer for another minute until slightly thickened.
- Add cooked pasta to the sauce. Toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water as needed to help the sauce cling to the noodles.
- Return shrimp to the pan. Toss gently to warm through. Remove from heat.
- Stir in lemon juice and most of the parsley. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve immediately, topped with remaining parsley, extra lemon squeeze, and red pepper flakes.
Notes
Pat shrimp dry before cooking to ensure they sear rather than steam. Do not overcook shrimp as they will finish cooking in the sauce. Use fresh lemon juice for best flavor. The sauce can be reheated gently with a splash of milk or cream to restore creaminess. This recipe does not freeze well due to the dairy content.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 55
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 28
Keywords: garlic butter shrimp pasta, quick dinner, weeknight meals, shrimp recipe, pasta dinner, 20 minute meals, easy seafood