Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta (Printable)

Succulent shrimp in garlicky cream sauce with perfectly cooked pasta for a comforting dish.

# Ingredient List:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz fettuccine or linguine
02 - 1 tablespoon salt (for pasta water)

→ Shrimp

03 - 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
06 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Sauce

07 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
08 - 5 garlic cloves, minced
09 - 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
10 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
11 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
12 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
13 - Juice of 1/2 lemon
14 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

15 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
16 - Extra grated Parmesan, for serving

# How to Make:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain.
02 - While pasta cooks, season shrimp with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side until pink and just opaque. Remove shrimp and set aside.
04 - Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to same skillet and melt. Sauté garlic for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant without browning.
05 - Pour in heavy cream and stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer then add Parmesan, Italian herbs, and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes until slightly thickened.
06 - Return shrimp and any accumulated juices to skillet. Stir in lemon juice and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
07 - Add drained pasta to sauce and toss to coat thoroughly. Add reserved pasta water incrementally if needed to achieve desired sauce consistency.
08 - Plate immediately and garnish with chopped parsley and extra grated Parmesan.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The whole thing comes together in 35 minutes, yet tastes like you spent an hour planning it.
  • Shrimp becomes tender and sweet when treated gently, and the sauce that catches it is pure comfort.
  • It's forgiving enough for a casual dinner but impressive enough to set down in front of guests.
02 -
  • Overcooking shrimp by even 30 seconds turns them from tender to tough—they keep cooking off heat, so pull them when they still look barely done.
  • That reserved pasta water is your secret weapon; it's starchy and emulsifies into the sauce instead of making it watery like tap water would.
  • Acid—the lemon—is not optional; it's what keeps cream from tasting flat and one-note.
03 -
  • Mince garlic right before using it; pre-minced loses its pungency and turns sharp instead of mellow.
  • The pasta water you reserve is liquid gold—one tablespoon of it added to the sauce changes everything, so don't skip it.

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