This Butter Garlic Shrimp with Angel Hair Pasta is a time illusion. How is it possible to make something this delicious in 20 minutes? It’s truly why learning how to cook at home is an amazing skill.
The tricky part about this recipe is actually that if it takes you longer than 20 minutes to make, you probably over-cooked something. Both the angel hair pasta and the butter garlic shrimp take just minutes to cook. Toss them together and dinner is done!
If you’re not an angel hair fan, then you could serve this with any pasta of course or just a big loaf of crusty bread!
- Want a vegetarian fast pasta? Try this Artichoke Fusilli recipe!
Butter Garlic Shrimp with Angel Hair Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled
- 2 cloves garlic, 1 sliced and 1 minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 10 ounces angel hair pasta
- Red pepper flakes
- Salt and Pepper
- Parmesan cheese, garnish
Instructions
- To prep the shrimp, peel the shells off and remove the tails. If the shrimp aren’t cleaned, run a paring knife down the back of each shrimp and rinse out any of the dirt in the shrimp vein. Toss shrimp with 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 clove minced garlic. Let sit for a few minutes.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and pre-heat. When oil is hot add shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes per side until the shrimp are mostly cooked through. It’s okay if they are still slightly pink in the center. Remove shrimp from skillet.
- Meanwhile, cook angel hair according to package instructions in salted water. See my how to cook angel hair pasta tutorial for perfect pasta.
- Add butter to skillet along with sliced garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook for a minute in the melted butter, being careful not to burn garlic.
- Add white wine and use the liquid to scrape up any bits stuck to the pan. Squeeze in lemon juice and return shrimp to the skillet. Toss to combine.
- Pull angel hair straight from the pot and add to the skillet. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup pasta water from cooking to help with sauce. Toss to combine.
- Serve pasta immediately garnished with parmesan cheese and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Nutrition
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How to Make the Butter Garlic Shrimp
Keep these shrimp simple so the flavors shine. It’ll taste nice and garlic flavored but really there is only two cloves of garlic in the whole recipe!
Peel the shrimp and clean them well and then toss them with a tiny drizzle of olive oil and minced garlic. The minced garlic will help coat all the shrimp.
Let those sit for a few minutes to marinate. No need to do them way in advance or anything.
Then add the shrimp to a large skillet with olive oil (don’t worry, the butter is coming). These will cook fast! Just a minute or two per side.
It’s okay if the garlic shrimp are slightly undercooked at this point even since they will cook in the sauce later as well. These look perfect!
Making the Butter Sauce and the Angel Hair Pasta
Back to the skillet! Add a big hunk of butter to the skillet along with the sliced garlic (which won’t burn as easily as the minced) and some red pepper flakes! Let that cook for a minute or two and then hit it with some white wine and lemon juice!
Once the sauce has cooked for literally a minute (make sure not to burn the garlic) toss the shrimp back in and then the pasta! Check out my perfect angel hair pasta tutorial if you need some tips there!
I’d recommend adding about 1/2 cup of pasta water to the skillet as well just to pull everything together and help the sauce. This is looking good!
Plate up the Butter GarliC Shrimp with Angel Hair with some parmesan cheese and a few red pepper flakes!
You’re in business!
Corliss
Can u freeze garlic shrimp angel hair pasta?
Nick
Ehh… I wouldn’t. The pasta wouldn’t hold up I don’t think.