Description
A quick, affordable, and delicious weeknight dinner featuring garlic-buttery shrimp and lemony pasta that tastes like it came from a fancy Italian bistro.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound large or extra-large raw shrimp (frozen, peeled, deveined, thawed and patted dry)
- 1 pound spaghetti or linguine
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc) or low-sodium chicken broth with 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 lemons (zest and juice)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Crusty bread (Italian loaf or baguette) for serving
Instructions
- Prep ingredients: Peel and devein shrimp if necessary, pat completely dry with paper towels. Mince garlic, zest and juice lemons, and chop parsley.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain pasta and set aside.
- While pasta cooks, heat olive oil and half the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook for 1-2 minutes per side until pink. Remove shrimp from skillet and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining butter to the skillet. Once melted, add minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 30-60 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
- Pour in white wine (or broth) and lemon juice. Scrape up brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until liquid reduces by half. Stir in lemon zest.
- Add cooked pasta to the skillet. Pour in reserved pasta water a splash at a time until sauce is glossy and coats the pasta. Add shrimp back in along with any juices. Toss to combine and heat shrimp through.
- Remove from heat. Stir in chopped parsley. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve immediately with crusty bread.
Notes
Pat shrimp dry to ensure proper browning and prevent watery sauce. Do not overcook shrimp or they will become rubbery. Save pasta water to help emulsify the sauce. If using frozen shrimp, thaw under cold water for 10 minutes before cooking. This recipe does not freeze well.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate with pasta a
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 600
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 50
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 25
Keywords: shrimp scampi, quick dinner, weeknight meals, pasta recipes, garlic butter shrimp, easy seafood, family dinner, budget-friendly meals