Description
A delicious Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta combining tender shrimp sautéed in garlic and butter with al dente fettuccine, accented by fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and Parmesan cheese to create a creamy, flavorful dish perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 12 oz Fettuccine
Shrimp and Seasoning
- 1 lb Shrimp
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- Sea Salt, to taste
- Black Pepper, to taste
- ¼ Lemon Juice (juice from 1/4 of a lemon)
- ¼ Lemon Zest (zest from 1/4 of a lemon)
Cheese and Fats
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 2 tbsp Cooking Oil (such as olive oil or vegetable oil)
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, usually about 10-12 minutes depending on the package instructions. Drain the pasta well and set aside.
- Sauté Garlic: In a large pan over medium heat, heat the cooking oil. Add minced garlic and cook for about 2 minutes until fragrant but not browned, allowing the garlic to release its flavor into the oil.
- Cook the Shrimp: Add the butter to the pan with garlic and let it melt. Then, add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp turn opaque white with some pink, approximately 4-6 minutes. Make sure not to overcook to keep shrimp tender.
- Add Flavors: Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, Parmesan cheese, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix everything until well combined and the Parmesan cheese has melted, creating a rich sauce coating the shrimp.
- Toss Pasta and Shrimp: Transfer the cooked fettuccine into the pan with the shrimp mixture. Stir gently until the pasta is evenly coated with the garlic butter sauce and shrimp.
- Serve: Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired and serve immediately while hot. Enjoy your flavorful garlic butter shrimp pasta!
Notes
- Use fresh shrimp for the best flavor; peeled and deveined shrimp save preparation time.
- Reserve a small cup of pasta water before draining to adjust sauce consistency if needed.
- For a spicier version, add red pepper flakes when sautéing the garlic.
- Parmesan cheese is essential for the creamy texture and authentic flavor, but you can substitute with Pecorino Romano if preferred.
- To make this dish gluten-free, substitute the fettuccine with gluten-free pasta.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/5 of recipe)
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg
