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This butter garlic shrimp spaghetti is deliciously buttery and garlicky, made with sweet, juicy shrimp and no cream at all. Plus, it's ready in under 30 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights!
This super simple shrimp pasta is a crowd pleaser as it's made with simple springy spaghetti and a garlic butter sauce, with some plump, juicy shrimp tossed in for some extra protein and deliciousness.
The fact that it's ready so quickly helps it rival favorites like our instant pot shrimp scampi or this creamy shrimp scampi tortellini.
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Why garlic butter shrimp pasta recipe works
- It's ready in under 30 minutes so can be perfect when you need a quick and easy to make meal. It's great for an easy weeknight dinner!
- It's a dish that the whole family likes - for those shrimp haters out there, you can easily leave the shrimp out and still have a great garlic butter spaghetti!
- We cook the shrimp quickly so they stay juicy and plump when added back into the pasta.
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Ingredients to make garlic shrimp pasta
The full list of ingredients and amounts is included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Any type of spaghetti (or any pasta) works fine here, as long as it's cooked al dente. Al dente means that it's fully cooked, but it still has a slight bite, or firmness, in the middle. This prevents it from overcooking when added to the warm sauce.
Reserved pasta cooking water is often to use thicken a pasta sauce, and/or make it smoother and creamier.
I prefer to use medium shrimp in this recipe so you get more shrimp per serving, but you can use large or even jumbo if you prefer. Just ensure they are fresh, and you will want to peel and devein them (see below for instruction). You can use pre-made sous vide shrimp to make this recipe even easier.
If using frozen shrimp, thaw them out thoroughly and pay them dry before using. You can also substitute scallops, mussels, clams or any seafood you'd like for the shrimp in this dish.
Chili flakes are used to add a touch of heat. You can add more or less depending on your spice preference. You can also substitute any kind of crushed chili (Korean, Japanese, etc., for some extra flair).
Use a dry white wine (white wine that is not sweet) like a chardonnay. You can substitute more chicken stock for the wine if preferred.
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter and melt butter.
Remove and serve the shrimp and pasta garnished with chopped parsley, fresh lemon juice and grated Parmesan cheese.
How to clean and devein shrimp
- Use your hands to gently peel off the peel down to the tail. You can choose to remove the tail or leave them on for tis recipe. Save the peels in a freezer bag to make shrimp stock in the future
- Use a sharp knife to gently score the back side of the shrimp (the part curving out at the back) and use the tips to remove the black stringy piece. Discard.
- gently rinse the shrimp in cool water, pat dry and cook according to the recipe.
Serving options
- Serve with a side of air fryer garlic bread or crusty French bread.
- A side of simple instant pot steamed broccoli, roasted leeks or this buttery sous vide asparagus complement the dish perfectly.
- A simple side salad or caesar salad also goes very well with this pasta dish.
- We love to start a meal like this with these blue cheese tomatoes, crispy air fryer ravioli or these air fryer mozzarella sticks.
Expert tips for garlic butter shrimp spaghetti
- Make sure the pasta is cooked al dente so it does not get soggy when tossed back in with the sauce.
- Substitute chicken broth for the wine if needed.
- Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels before cooking. This ensures they cook faster on the outside without overcooking in the middle.
- Use pre-made sous vide shrimp to toss into this dish.
- Substitute any type of pasta for the spaghetti - as long as it's cooked al dente.
- Prep all the ingredients before starting the recipe to make sure the recipe goes smoothly and quickly.
- Reserve of cup of the pasta water when cooking the pasta. If your sauce is too thin, stir in a little pasta water at a time while simmering to allow it to thicken.
Frequently asked questions
Butter garlic spaghetti does not use the same quantity of lemon juice and wine as traditional shrimp or scallop scampi.
Leftovers can be stored in am airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat, or in the microwave in 30 second interval until warmed through. Be careful not to over cook the shrimp.
More favorite pasta recipes
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Recipe
Butter Garlic Shrimp Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dried spaghetti cooked al dente and pasta water reserved
- 8 ounces medium to large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 4 ounces cherry tomatoes halved
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- ¼ cup white wine
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- Fresh lemon for serving
- Parsley for serving
- Grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter and let melt.
- Add the shrimp and cook 1-2 minutes per side, until opaque and pink on the outside. Remove and set aside.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the remaining butter and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, pepper, salt, chili flakes and lemon zest. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the wine and cook for 3-5 minutes to allow the alcohol to burn off.
- Add the stock and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Adjust salt to taste of needed.
- Add the shrimp and pasta in and toss to combine. If the sauce is too thin, add a couple tablespoons of the reserved pasta water and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes until thickened.
- Remove and serve garnished with chopped parsley, fresh lemon juice and grated Parmesan cheese.
Expert Tips:
- Make sure the pasta is cooked al dente so it does not get soggy when tossed back in with the sauce.
- Substitute chicken broth for the wine if needed.
- Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels before cooking. This ensures they cook faster on the outside without overcooking in the middle.
- Use pre-made sous vide shrimp to toss into this dish.
- Substitute any type of pasta for the spaghetti - as long as it's cooked al dente.
- Prep all the ingredients before starting the recipe to make sure the recipe goes smoothly and quickly.
- Reserve of cup of the pasta water when cooking the pasta. If your sauce is too thin, stir in a little pasta water at a time while simmering to allow it to thicken.
Nutrition
Danielle
This was one of our favorite pasta dishes ever!