Lemon Butter Shrimp Pasta Lite (Printer-friendly)

Succulent shrimp in zesty lemon-garlic butter over angel hair pasta. Ready in 25 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

→ Pasta

02 - 8 oz angel hair pasta

→ Sauce

03 - 3 tbsp unsalted butter
04 - 2 tbsp olive oil
05 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
06 - Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
07 - 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
08 - 1/2 tsp salt
09 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Garnish

10 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
11 - Lemon wedges for serving

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook angel hair pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
02 - While pasta cooks, pat shrimp dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt and pepper.
03 - In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer; cook 1-2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Remove shrimp and set aside.
04 - Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining olive oil and butter to skillet. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
05 - Add lemon zest, juice, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits.
06 - Add drained pasta to the skillet, tossing to coat in the sauce. Add a splash of reserved pasta water if needed for a silky texture.
07 - Return shrimp to the skillet, toss gently to combine, and heat through for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve immediately with extra lemon wedges.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • The bright lemon cuts through the rich butter, making each forkful feel perfectly balanced without being heavy
  • It comes together faster than delivery arrives, but tastes like you spent much more time on it
02 -
  • Overcooked shrimp becomes tough and rubbery, so remove them from the pan the moment they turn pink throughout
  • That reserved pasta water is liquid gold, transforming a thin sauce into something luxuriously silky
03 -
  • Room temperature shrimp cook more evenly than cold ones from the refrigerator
  • Lemon zest contains all the aromatic oils, so grate it gently to avoid the bitter white pith underneath
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