Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta (Printer-friendly)

Tender shrimp tossed in silky garlic cream sauce with linguine. A restaurant-quality dish that's elegant yet quick to prepare.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

→ Pasta

02 - 12 oz linguine

→ Dairy

03 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
04 - 1 cup heavy cream
05 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Aromatics and Seasonings

06 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 tbsp olive oil
08 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Fresh Herbs and Garnish

10 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
11 - Lemon wedges for serving

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook linguine according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
02 - Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.
03 - In a large skillet, heat olive oil and 1 tbsp butter over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Remove shrimp from skillet and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, add remaining 1 tbsp butter. Sauté garlic and red pepper flakes, if using, for 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
05 - Pour in heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to slightly thicken the sauce.
06 - Stir in Parmesan cheese until completely melted and the sauce reaches a smooth consistency.
07 - Add cooked linguine to the skillet, tossing thoroughly to coat with sauce. If needed, add reserved pasta water a small amount at a time to achieve desired sauce consistency.
08 - Return shrimp to the pan and toss until heated through. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen, but you'll be sitting down to eat in thirty minutes flat.
  • The creamy garlic sauce clings to every strand of pasta like it was meant to be there all along.
  • Shrimp cook so fast that there's no risk of drying them out if you pay attention for just a few minutes.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully with a splash of cream, which is rare for seafood pasta.
02 -
  • Overcooking shrimp turns them into tiny erasers, so pull them from the heat the moment they turn opaque and curl slightly.
  • If your sauce breaks or looks greasy, a tablespoon of pasta water whisked in vigorously will bring it back together.
  • Always add the Parmesan off heat or on very low heat, high temperatures can make it seize into clumps instead of melting smoothly.
03 -
  • Reserve more pasta water than you think you'll need, it's heartbreaking to realize you need it after you've already dumped it down the drain.
  • Use the biggest skillet you own so the pasta has room to toss without clumping or flying out onto the stove.
  • Mise en place is your friend here, once you start cooking the shrimp everything moves fast and there's no time to stop and mince garlic.
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