Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta (Printable Version)

Succulent shrimp tossed in a rich garlic cream sauce over perfectly cooked linguine. Elegant and quick.

# Components:

→ Seafood

01 - 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

→ Pasta

02 - 12 oz linguine

→ Dairy

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

→ Aromatics & Seasonings

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

→ Fresh Herbs & Garnish

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

# Preparation steps:

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 of pasta water.
02 - Pat shrimp dry and season generously with salt and black pepper.
03 - In a large skillet, heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook for 1-2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Remove shrimp from skillet and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Sauté minced garlic and red pepper flakes for 1 minute until fragrant, taking care not to brown the garlic.
05 - Pour in heavy cream, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens.
06 - Stir in grated Parmesan cheese until melted and the sauce becomes smooth and creamy.
07 - Add cooked linguine to the skillet, tossing gently to coat evenly with the sauce. Add reserved pasta water as needed to achieve desired sauce consistency.
08 - Return seared shrimp to the skillet and toss until heated through. Season with additional salt and black pepper to taste.
09 - Divide pasta among serving plates. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen but youll be plating in thirty minutes flat.
  • The sauce clings to every strand of pasta in that way that makes you want to lick the plate when no ones watching.
  • Shrimp cook so fast theres almost no room for error, and they soak up all that garlic and cream like little flavor sponges.
  • Its fancy enough for date night but easy enough that you wont stress over it after a long workday.
02 -
  • Shrimp go from perfect to rubbery in seconds, so pull them early and trust theyll finish cooking when you toss them back in.
  • That pasta water isnt optional, the starch in it turns a broken sauce into something silky and cohesive.
  • If your cream looks like its separating, lower the heat immediately and whisk in a bit of pasta water to bring it back together.
03 -
  • Use the biggest skillet you have so the shrimp sear instead of steam, and everything has room to toss without flying onto the stovetop.
  • Warm your serving bowls in the oven for a minute so the pasta stays hot longer, a trick I picked up from a chef friend.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the shrimp back in, because once theyre coated its hard to adjust seasoning without overdoing it.
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