Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta (Printable)

Succulent shrimp in garlic cream sauce with linguine. Rich, comforting, and elegant—ready in just 30 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

→ Pasta

02 - 12 ounces 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, optional
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Fresh Herbs & Garnish

10 - 2 tablespoons 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 of the cooking water.
02 - While the pasta cooks, pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and season evenly with salt and black pepper.
03 - Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Transfer cooked shrimp to a clean plate.
04 - In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Sauté minced garlic and red pepper flakes, if using, for 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
05 - Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, allowing the sauce to slightly thicken.
06 - Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until completely melted and the sauce reaches a smooth consistency.
07 - Add the cooked linguine to the skillet and toss thoroughly to coat with the cream sauce. Add reserved pasta water a small amount at a time if a silkier consistency is desired.
08 - Return the cooked shrimp to the pan and toss gently until heated through. Season with additional salt and black pepper to taste.
09 - Divide the pasta among serving plates. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours at the stove but actually comes together faster than ordering takeout.
  • The creamy garlic sauce clings to every strand of pasta and coats each shrimp with rich, silky flavor.
  • You can serve it to guests without breaking a sweat or make it on a random Wednesday just because.
  • Shrimp cook so quickly there's almost no way to mess up the timing once you get the rhythm down.
02 -
  • Don't skip drying the shrimp, wet shrimp steam instead of getting that golden sear that adds flavor.
  • Reserve pasta water before draining because once it's gone, you can't get it back and you'll wish you had it for the sauce.
  • Keep the heat moderate when you add the garlic so it doesn't burn, which happens faster than you think and ruins the whole base.
  • Add the shrimp back at the very end just to warm them, leaving them in the hot pan too long turns them tough and chewy.
03 -
  • Use freshly grated Parmesan instead of the pre-shredded kind, it melts smoother and tastes about ten times better.
  • Don't walk away from the garlic while it's cooking, thirty seconds too long and it goes from fragrant to burnt.
  • Toss the pasta in the sauce off the heat for a few seconds before serving so it really soaks in and every bite is creamy.
  • Serve this with crusty bread to soak up every last bit of sauce, because leaving any behind feels like a crime.
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