Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Name: Garlic Shrimp Pasta Recipe
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces linguine pasta; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 ½ tablespoons butter (divided); 1 pound raw shrimp (buy frozen, peeled, and deveined shrimp); ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon Old bay seasoning (optional - or smoked paprika or cajun); 1 clove garlic (minced); ½ cup heavy cream ((double cream in the UK)); ½ cup parmesan (grated); ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley (chopped)

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By: Diana Posted: 1/9/21 Updated: 5/15/21

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Creamy garlic butter shrimp pasta is an elegant pasta dish with big flavors! It’s so quick and easy, and perfect for a weeknight dinner as it’s ready in just 15 minutes. Serve this for a Romantic date night, for a special occasion, or as a family meal. Either way, everyone will love it!

Butter garlic shrimp tossed in creamy rich sauce and pasta, a close up shot.

Succulent butter and garlic infused shrimp sizzling in a flavorful cream sauce, tossed with perfectly cooked pasta. This is where every pasta lovers’ dream comes true ❤️

The idea of this shrimp pasta came after one night when I decided to add shrimp to my garlic butter pasta for dinner, I also had some cream that I needed to use up, so I added a splash of cream for extra creaminess and richness, and this perfect recipe was born!

It’s SO simple, but when you serve it to someone you love, it will look like you put a lot of effort into making this dish. The flavor of this garlicky shrimp pasta and the cream sauce is just incredible, and the textures are perfect!

This creamy shrimp pasta is indulgent but not too heavy. And it’s much healthier than what you’d get at a restaurant, I mean, we all know that restaurant food is so good because it’s LOADED with butter, oil, and salt. But this recipe is lighter, healthier, and still tastes amazing!

If you’re looking for more creamy pasta recipes, check out my creamy lemon pasta. It’s SO good!

Shrimp Pasta Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this simple but elegant creamy shrimp pasta:

Shrimp – Use good quality raw frozen shrimp that is peeled, or peel and devein it yourself. Any size of shrimp works here as long as you don’t overcook it. If you have cooked shrimp in the fridge, you can also use that. I have a full tutorial on how to poach shrimp and serve it with a homemade cocktail sauce. If you have leftovers, they’re great for this pasta dish!
Olive oil, butter, and garlic – this is where most of the flavor comes from.
Pasta – any long strand pasta of choice, I went for linguine.
Cream – heavy cream (double cream in the UK) works best here, the fat content of heavy cream is emulsified with the reserved pasta cooking water, and creates a beautiful silky cream sauce that clings into the pasta. You can sub with half and half (single cream), but your sauce will be thinner and it will take longer to thicken.
Parmesan – get the best parmesan that you can get your hands on! It gives you that umami/savory flavor that you want in the sauce, and it also helps thicken the cream sauce.
Optional seasoning – I use homemade old bay seasoning because it works so well with seafood, and gives this pasta an extra flavor. You can also use cajun or smoked paprika if you like.
Salt, pepper, and parsley.

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

How to Make Creamy Shrimp Pasta

In a medium-sized saucepan, boil water and salt it. Add your pasta, and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. When the pasta is cooked, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta.
In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter, and add olive oil. Cook the shrimp for a minute, then season with salt, pepper, and Old Bay Seasoning or paprika if using.
Continue to cook the shrimp until it’s pink. Do this in batches if you’re worried that you may overcook the shrimp. Remove the shrimp onto a plate and set aside.
In the same pan, melt butter and add garlic, cook for 30 seconds or until it’s fragrant. Add the heavy cream, and with the spatula deglaze the pan.
Add parmesan, let it melt then loosen the sauce with reserved pasta water and allow to simmer for a minute. Taste the sauce and see if more salt and pepper is needed.
Toss the pasta with the sauce until it’s well coated. Add the shrimp back in to reheat it gently, garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve.

Steps how to make Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta

Top Tips

Cook the pasta until just al dente. You will toss the pasta with the sauce over a gentle heat, and you want to avoid getting overcooked pasta.
If you cook the shrimp from frozen, you will have liquid coming out and that’s ok as it will take about a minute to simmer it down (not enough to overcook the shrimp). However, it’s recommended to thaw the shrimp completely before cooking so it’s as dry as possible for better results.
Don’t forget to reserve about a cup of the pasta cooking water, it’s quite starchy and great for loosening up the sauce. You will most probably need much less than a cup, but to stay on the safe side I always reserve 1 cup and drain the rest.
This pasta makes 4 normal servings, or 3 big ones.

Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta in a stainless steel Le Creuset pan

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Fridge: Store in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
Reheat: Reheat the pasta in a skillet over low-medium heat, and add a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Do the same if using the microwave.
Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing this creamy shrimp pasta.

Close up of shrimps and creamy linguine pasta

What to Serve with Garlic Shrimp Pasta

I like to serve this shrimp pasta with a simple side salad, or a homemade Caesar salad. Homemade breadsticks are perfect for soaking up the sauce, and roasted vegetables would be perfect. Depending on what vegetables you have, pick your favorite side dish here.

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