Lemon Butter Shrimp Pasta Lite (Printable)

Fresh shrimp in a zesty lemon-garlic butter sauce tossed with angel hair pasta. Light, satisfying, and perfect for weeknight dinners.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

→ Pasta

02 - 8 ounces angel hair pasta

→ Sauce

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

→ Garnish

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

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook angel hair pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.
02 - Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt and pepper.
03 - In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook 1 to 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 from the skillet.
06 - Add drained pasta to the skillet, tossing to coat evenly 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 and sprinkle with fresh parsley.
08 - Plate immediately and serve with extra lemon wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like something you'd order at a charming coastal bistro, but you can make it in your own kitchen on a random weeknight.
  • The lemon and garlic create this bright, clean flavor that never feels heavy, even after a long day.
  • Cleanup is shockingly easy since everything comes together in one skillet and one pot.
  • Shrimp cook so fast that you'll have dinner on the table before you even realize you're hungry.
02 -
  • Don't skip patting the shrimp dry—I learned this the hard way when they steamed instead of seared and turned rubbery.
  • Keep the garlic moving in the pan and don't let it sit too long or it'll go bitter and ruin the whole sauce.
  • Reserve that pasta water before you drain—it's loaded with starch and turns a good sauce into a great one.
03 -
  • Use a large skillet so the shrimp have room to sear properly without crowding—this gives them that golden edge instead of a steamed texture.
  • Zest the lemon before you juice it, and use a microplane for the finest, most aromatic zest that melts into the sauce.
  • Toss the pasta in the skillet off the heat for the last 30 seconds so the sauce clings instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
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