Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta (Print version)

Succulent shrimp tossed with garlic butter sauce and angel hair pasta for a quick weeknight meal ready in 25 minutes.

# What goes in:

→ Seafood

01 - 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

→ Pasta

02 - 12 oz angel hair pasta

→ Sauce

03 - 4 tbsp (¼ cup) unsalted butter
04 - 2 tbsp olive oil
05 - 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
06 - ¼ cup dry white wine or chicken broth
07 - 1 lemon, juiced and zested
08 - ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

10 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
11 - ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
12 - Lemon wedges, for serving

# Cooking steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook angel hair pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain through a colander, reserving ½ cup of the starchy pasta water. Set pasta aside.
02 - Pat the shrimp thoroughly dry with paper towels. Season both sides lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
03 - In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tbsp butter with 1 tbsp olive oil. Arrange shrimp in a single layer and sear for 1–2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Transfer shrimp to a plate and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, add the remaining 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil. Sauté thinly sliced garlic and red pepper flakes for about 1 minute until fragrant, taking care not to let the garlic brown.
05 - Pour in the white wine (or chicken broth) and lemon juice, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Simmer for 1–2 minutes to reduce slightly, then stir in the lemon zest.
06 - Return the seared shrimp to the skillet and toss to coat evenly in the garlic butter sauce.
07 - Add the drained angel hair pasta to the skillet along with reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Toss everything together with tongs until the pasta is well coated and the sauce clings to the noodles.
08 - Taste and adjust with additional salt, pepper, or a squeeze of lemon juice as desired.
09 - Serve immediately on warm plates, garnished with chopped fresh parsley, grated Parmesan cheese, and lemon wedges alongside.

# Tips from flavorandfeast:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than delivery and tastes like something from a coastal Italian trattoria with barely any effort.
  • The garlic butter sauce clings to every strand of angel hair, making each bite feel luxurious without being heavy.
02 -
  • If you overcook the shrimp even by thirty seconds they turn rubbery, so pull them from the pan the second they are opaque and slightly pink.
  • The garlic must stay pale gold and never brown because burnt garlic will make the entire dish bitter and there is no coming back from that.
03 -
  • Dry shrimp are happy shrimp, so pat them thoroughly because moisture is the enemy of a good sear.
  • Save a little extra pasta water than you think you need, since the sauce thickens as it sits and that starchy liquid loosens it perfectly when you reheat leftovers the next day.

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