Garlic Butter Shrimp Spaghetti
This is a simple, crowd-pleasing pasta: shrimp cooked in butter with plenty of garlic, then tossed with spaghetti, olive oil and Italian herbs. A little starchy pasta water helps everything cling together into a light, glossy sauce. Serve it with a green salad for an easy weeknight dinner.
Preparation Steps
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente. Before draining, scoop out 1 cup (240 ml) of the cooking water and set it aside.
While the pasta cooks, rinse the shrimp and pat them dry.
Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes, until they begin to turn pink.
Add the garlic and olive oil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, stirring, until the shrimp are pink, curled and opaque and the garlic is fragrant but not browned.
Add the drained spaghetti to the skillet with the Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
Pour in about 1/4 cup of the pasta water and toss well. Keep adding a little more water, tossing, until the pasta is glossy and coated but not soupy.
Scatter with fresh herbs and serve hot.
Tips & Variations
- Add the garlic after the shrimp so it has time to flavor the butter without burning.
- Finish with a squeeze of lemon and some grated parmesan, or use linguine instead of spaghetti.
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet with a splash of water until steaming hot.
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