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Garlic Shrimp Spaghetti is an easy and quick pasta dish for the weekday menu. Savory, succulent shrimp sizzling in a garlic butter sauce paired with light and airy spaghetti. It’s a family favorite that I can usually whip up in 15 minutes.
RECIPE VIDEO TUTORIAL
How to make garlic shrimp spaghetti
- Cook the shrimp with salt and red pepper flakes in butter until cooked through.
- Flip the shrimp to the other side to finish cooking, then remove the shrimp and set aside.
- Cook the remaining garlic and butter in the same skillet, along with the lemon juice, pasta water (reserved from cooking the pasta) and parmesan cheese. Use a whisk to combine the sauce and scrape up any bits from the shrimp.
- Add in the cooked spaghetti on top of the sauce.
- Toss to combine until the sauce coats the spaghetti well.
- Return the shrimp to the skillet, and garnish with parsley before serving.
Tips for making the recipe
- Cook the pasta al-dente. That’s because you’ll be tossing it with the sauce and shrimp for a couple minutes after it’s done cooking and you want to make sure it doesn’t get too soggy.
- Thaw and dry frozen shrimp before cooking. I prefer to buy frozen shrimp, so after I thaw it, I always make sure to dab it dry so the excess moisture doesn’t affect searing the shrimp properly.
- Be careful not to overcook the shrimp. They only require a few minutes of cooking and if you over cook them they will get chewy. Cook until they are opaque pink in color.
- Use milk instead of pasta water for a more creamy texture. I prefer keeping it light with the lemon juice and pasta water because the garlic and butter give it great flavor. But milk is a great option as well!
Frequently asked questions
I like making this dish with long pasta such as spaghetti or linguini, but you can use whatever you have to hand. Penne and shells would both work well. Use a whole grain pasta for extra fiber and to lower the calorie content.
A healthy portion of this pasta dish is a great meal by itself, but I like to serve a smaller portion alongside a fresh caesar salad. If you’d like, try my olive oil garlic bread with it too!
This pasta is best served straight out of the pan. If you have any leftovers, you can keep them in an airtight container in the fridge to enjoy the next day.
This garlic shrimp with spaghetti is such a great recipe for a quick and easy weeknight meal. It’s family friendly and packed full of flavor!
More pasta recipes:
- Easy Baked Spaghetti
- Baked Pasta with Ground Turkey
- Arrabiata Pasta with Shrimp
- Healthy Shrimp Scampi
- Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats
- Cheese Stuffed Shells
- Broccoli Mac and Cheese
- Spaghetti Squash Shrimp Scampi
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Garlic Shrimp Pasta recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
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Garlic Shrimp Spaghetti
Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti or pasta of choice
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled deveined
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
- 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to package instructions; drain well and reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt two tablespoons butter. Add shrimp, salt and crushed red pepper, and cook stirring occasionally, until shrimp is opaque pink, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining butter and garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add the lemon juice, pasta water and parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Transfer the spaghetti to the skillet and toss with the sauce.
- Add the shrimp on top and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.
Equipment
Notes
- To make it gluten-free, you can use any gluten-free pasta of your choice.
- To make the sauce more creamy, you can add some milk instead of some of the water.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
I liked the ingredients and really was looking forward to trying this, but it was somewhat bland, even with fresh ingredients. The sauce just didn’t have enough flavor and half the garlic and Parmesan just stuck to the pan.
So sorry to hear you didn’t like it, Diana. Thank you for the feedback.
Love it
Yay thanks, Nancy!
It’s incredible. One of my sons hated shrimp, but this is his favorite recipe ever. When he turned 7, this is what he requested for his birthday dinner. I serve it with broccoli and garlic bread, and it always is delicious.
Aww, I love that!! So happy your son is now a shrimp fan, that’s amazing! Thanks, Mariah!!
It is very easy and nice
Thanks! So happy you think so, Jesus!
Love this simple recipe. I use white wine as substitute for most of the pasta water.
Amazing! Thank you, Anthony!!
Easy and delicious! I added broccoli to round out the meal. As always, thanks for a great recipe!
My husband and I both love this meal. I made it last night. The only thing I was missing was the lemon juice but the meal came out delicious anyway. Thank you.
You can never have too much lemon! So glad you liked the recipe, Victoria.
Excellent. Also stir fried zuke in with the shrimp and think green pepper would be a great addition. We loved it. I used more garlic and pepper flakes as used the wrong measuring spoon on pepper flakes so …5 stars
Yum, zucchini sounds great in this dish!! Perfect for summer. So happy you loved it, Donna!
Made this wonderful pasta twice now. Family LOVED it! It’s so simple, quick, delicious! Can’t ask for more than that. Thank you, thank you, Yumna! This is a perfect dish for the family on-the-go!
Yay, I’m glad you found it delicious and easy to make! Thank you!
I did something wrong because my parmesan cheese clumped and stuck in the whisk. It was delicious but lost the cheese.
Oh no! Did you use pre-shredded cheese? Depending on the type of parmesan you used, it could have been coated with cellulose powder, which prevents the cheese from sticking together and makes it ball up into one big lump when heated. I’m glad you still liked the pasta without the cheese!
Hello! I doubled this recipe and used 2 cups of pasta water but the sauce was very watery. Is this normal? Did I use too much water? Thanks
Hi Annie, it sounds like your sauce needed to cook a bit longer to help the water evaporate so the sauce could thicken. You probably could’ve gotten away with 1 to 1.5 cups of pasta water. Luckily, a watery sauce just needs a little more time on the stovetop to cook down! Next time, I recommend adding the pasta water as needed to help emulsify without watering it down. Hope that helps!
I will try that next time! Thank you!
I made this last night for the first time and it was delicious. I liked that it wasn’t heavy or too buttery. The red pepper flakes cooked with the shrimp gave it a little kick that I liked. I’ll definitely make this again. Hubby loved it too!
Yay, so happy you and your husband liked it!! Thank you!
This recipe was delicious the way it is. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Joseph!! Glad you liked it!
This is an easy-to-follow recipe yet delicious flavors and beautiful presentation! I doubled the recipe and added mushrooms & marinated artichokes. I additionally added a 1/2 cup of the pasta water, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and an extra dash of red pepper flakes. Next time I prepare this dish I will add 2 extra garlic cloves with shrimp. I also recommend using fresh shrimp as they were amazing in this dish.
Love the tweaks you made! Thanks so much, Margarette!!
I tried substituting milk for the reserved pasta water as suggested. It curdled twice! When would you recommend adding the milk?
Sorry to hear that, Ashley! You could try adding a couple tablespoons of flour, cornstarch, or arrowroot in with the butter and garlic to create a roux before adding the milk, cheese, and lemon juice—the starch should help stabilize the milk emulsion and prevent curdling. Make sure your heat isn’t too high either. Hope that helps!
An amazing recipe! I made this recipe today and it’s so good and super easy! The ingredients are simple so I had everything in my pantry and freezer. I did change out the parsley for fresh basil growing in my garden and this recipe was still amazing. Thank you!
Yay, I’m so happy you liked it and found it easy to make!! Thanks so much, Dawn!
This is a delicous pasta-shrimp dish that is both light and bright in flavor. A keeper!
So happy you enjoyed it!
LOVED! Added some baby spinach and 10/10! Thank you for sharing!
Yay! So glad you liked this one!
Excellent!! I used a bit of sherry and shallots which brought the flavors up a notch.
Sounds amazing!
This was fantastic, quick and easy to make. My husband loved it so much so I will be making it again! Wouldn’t change a thing!
Yay, so glad to hear!
This is such an easy dish to make but so delicious!!! I highly recommend this easy recipe 😃
Thanks so much!
Love this recipe!
Thanks so much!
Delicious quick meal. Thank you so much.
So glad you enjoyed it!
This was delicious. I did the variation suggested in a previous review and used a can of cream of mushroom soup, some fresh mushrooms (cooked beforehand) and a bit of creamo. Was short on shrimp so added some scallops as well. Great tasting dish.
Excellent, quick, recipe!!
Thanks so much!
This was delicious. Thank you for the recipe
Happy you liked it!
I love this recipe! I’ve made it several times but with a few modifications. Instead of pasta water, I use cream of mushroom soup. I add milk to the can after afterwards to get the remaining soup out and mix it in with my shrimp and garlic. I also add sliced mushrooms. I then add my pasta to it. It is so so good.
Sounds great, Sandra!
Thank you. I make it often. Thank you for such a quick and delicious recipe!
This was rated five stars by everyone in our family. I followed the directions to the letter and served it with a spinach/feta salad and garlic butter toast.
Yay! So glad to hear.
Delicious with simple ingredients and low time commitment. That’s my kind of recipe!
Very happy to hear!
I love this recipe. It’s light and tasty. My son asks for this quite often.
Thanks so much, Jessica!
We just tried this recipe and it was absolutely amazing! Restaurant quality food. It was all gone in 10 minutes. It will be a staple in our weeknight (and occasional date night) rotation from now on. Thank you very much Yumna.
Wow, thank you so much!
I make this all the time. It’s fast easy and so delicious.
So glad it has become part of your weekly rotation.
Can you use grated parmesan cheese
Sometimes the pregrated cheese has additives that can cause it to make the sauce grainy so I prefer freshly grated if possible.
What do I do with the butter/liquid that’s left after sautéing the shrimp? Do I discard it or put it back in the pan?
Yes, combine everything from the skillet with the shrimp into the pasta.
Great recipe. Lots of flavour.
So happy you enjoyed it!
Love love love this recipe! So easy and bursting with delicious flavor
Thank you so much!!
Very easy and adaptable.
I used milk and pasta water, Argentina red shrimp and mushrooms, my 20+ age boys loved it
Yum sounds great!
I made this recipe last night for dinner. My husband said write this recipe down. He loved it! This one’s a keeper.
Yay! So happy it was a hit.
Enjoyed this recipe to the max!
So glad to hear!
I have to cook meals in advance. Would it be terrible to cook this and have it served later in the evening due to kid’s sports schedules, we can’t always eat when food is made and have to reheat more often than not . Thanks so much.
I would just store the shrimp separately from the pasta so you can reheat without worrying about overcooking the shrimp.
Do you use cooked shrimp or raw?
I used raw, but you can use cooked and just skip the step of cooking the shrimp.
PLEASE list HOW MUCH pasta water should be added to this recipe when making the sauce for the pasta. Thank you!
Step one does say 1 cup, it’s just not in the ingredient list. Hope that helps!
Yes, you’re absolutely right; thank you!
You’re welcome!
So easy and absolutely delicious!
Great, so happy you liked this one!
Love ❤️ this recipe , since I found it eat at least 😋 once a week. Every one likes it and very easy to make.
So happy you have a new go-to dinner with this recipe!
We will definitely be making this again. We used fettuccine noodles, and the sauce covered them perfectly.
Absolutely delicious! My family loved it and I have made several times already. Yum!!
Thanks for letting me know! Happy to hear it has become a family favorite.
An amazing recipe great way easy to do it
Thank you so much!
I’m making this tonight for 24 people (6 #s of shrimp) do you have any suggestions for cooking such a large quantity? Thank you!
I hope it turned out well for you!
Boyfriend just made this and hands down the best pasta ever. It’s buttery and salty with a bit of spice. Definitely a dish you would want to share with friends, family and coworkers!
So happy to heat that, thank you so much, Virginia!
Delicious!!!!
Thank you so much!
This was so easy & tasted so great. I also heated up a can of Italian spaghetti sauce & added some over the shrimp & spaghetti. It was soo good and tasted better than some I have had in restaurants. So glad I hit your post. It was a great meal thank you❤️
Thank you so much, that really means a lot!
This was AMAZING! My wife and I both LOVED it! This is instantly one of the top five meals I make for us.
Thank you so much! So glad you and your wife enjoyed it!
Made it.
Loved it.
Thank you!
Thank you so much!
Definitely going to get the ingredients and make this!
I hope you enjoy it!
Modified this to be vegan and gluten free due to food allergies- Myokos Vegan Butter, vegan parm cheese and gluten free pasta- added some spinach too. Soooo delicious! Definitely went for seconds!
Love this! So glad you liked it!
Quick and delicious!! Thank you!
You’re so welcome!
Insanely good! Came out perfect and super flavorful & not as heavy as Alfredo.
So glad you liked it, Chelsea!
Hi
I don’t have fresh Parmesan… or pepper flakes.
How much dried Parmesan should I use or should I just sprinkle some on top?
Also, I was looking to use up some left over tomato sauce. How can I do this please?
Thanks
Quick and flavourful…a great weekday go to that comes together in 20 minutes using on hand ingredients! I’ll be keeping this one in my collection.
So glad you liked it Michelle!
Yummy! Love how quick and easy it was. I eyeballed this ingredients and used pre-grated cheese, and my whole family loved it. Thank you for sharing this!
You’re so welcome, Jennifer!
Amazing! Nothing left, kids loved it and was super easy!
So glad you and your kiddos enjoyed it, Tiffany!
Made this for supper tonight. We loved it. Wasn’t too watery as in one of the comments and cheese didn’t clump. Will definitely make again.
So glad you liked it! Thanks for the update on the consistency. The type of cheese used makes all the difference, I think!
We loved this. Lots of flavour and so simple – always have pasta, shrimp and garlic in my house :). I did throw in some zucchini with the shrimp which added more colour than flavour. Would totally make this a staple meal in my house!
Zucchini is always a great add, even if it doesn’t pack a flavor punch, it adds some nutrients! So glad you liked it!
It was awful. No taste whatsoever. Sorry
So sorry it didn’t work out well for you, but I really appreciate the feedback!
I second this. I added extra lemon and still could not get any flavor. 1 cup of pasta water was wayyy too much, and my parm cheese got weirdly clumpy when I added it into the warm pasta and lemon water.
Oh no! Depending on the type of parm cheese you used (shredded vs. block), it could have been coated with cellulose powder which is supposed to prevent the cheese from sticking together, but it really just makes it ball up in one big lump when heated.
I buy my parm in wedges and use freshly grated. The cheese clumped together, and there was way too much water.
It got better when I added the pasta and cooked it over med heat until some of the water cooked off. Once the excess water was gone I was able to add more parm without it clumping. Still, it lacked flavor. I’m so confused by all the positive reviews.
So sorry to hear, but thanks for providing me with more information.
I’m a terrible cook. This was quick, easy and delicious! I used frozen shrimp, thawed them in cold water first and just heated them in the sauce. I’ll be making this again!!
So glad you enjoyed the garlic shrimp spaghetti! And I bet you’re not a terrible cook!
Can I use frozen cooked shrimp for this recipe?
Hi Linda, I haven’t used pre-cooked shrimp for this recipe before, but I don’t see why you couldn’t! Just heat in the sauce until warm. It might be a little more watery than intended due to the shrimp being frozen and not being able to cook off as much excess water, without overcooking the shrimp – but it should still be good! Don’t forget to come back and let me know how it turns out!
We LOVE this recipe.
I have made this many times, and we make it as written!
I don’t ever change a thing.
Thank you so much, Jan! I am so glad you like the shrimp pasta!
I made this last night for my mom and dad, it was delish. They loved it too! I added roasted broccoli on the side. Will definitely be making again!
Thank you so much! I love the sound of that. Yay!
Very good recipe… I added extra garlic along with extra pasta water. I also add fresh spinach. Delicious & super easy to make.
Thank you!! That sounds absolutely perfect.
This was so scrumptious, simple and quick!
Thank you so much!
👍🏾Simple & tasty, even without the cheese.
Thank you so much!
One of the easiest and most delicious meals I have ever made from the internet. And I have made hundreds haha. Will definitely be a new regular.
That is one of the the biggest compliments ever! Thank you!
One of the best food article I never seen before. It’s simple and easy to consume.
Thank you so much!
Best recipe ever one of very favorites and so easy !!!!
Wow, thank you so much!
Do you think I could use a lime instead of lemon or just skip the lemon entirely?
Yes, you could do either!
My bride and I had this tonight. What an excellent meal this was. Followed the recipe – almost. Spaghettini, pasta water, no cheese – otherwise, the same. What a fantastic meal. Wanted to add my new fave salad (slice of iceberg lettuce, crumbled blue cheese, ranch dressing, tomato slice, but no time). Big hit. Quick, easy, tasty. Instantly added to our current rotation of meals.
btk
Ottawa
🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
So glad you both enjoyed! Such a great meal.
My Mouth is watering! About to eat!
Hope you enjoy!
Yum! Thank you for this delicious meal enjoyed by my whole family. As a working mom, I typically stay away from recipes because they take too long but this was so fast and easy. Will be following you now!
You’re so welcome! Glad you enjoyed this recipe!
My kids loved this! I whipped it up after a long softball practice and the best part I had all the ingredients! Easy, simple and delicious.
That’s great to hear! Yay!
Love it!!!!! Quick, easy and delicious!
Thank you so much! I’m glad to hear it.
Wonderful recipe , quick and easy and delicious!
Thank you so much!
Thank you for this recipe. Made this for my husband and 3 teenagers and they all loved it!! Will definitely be part of my rotation
You’re so welcome! That’s amazing!
Great recipe. We loved it. Made it with milk instead of lemon juice (because we didn’t have lemons). Must be great with lemon juice too.
Thank you so much! Yes!!
Literally the worst wattery shrimp pasta dish I’ve ever made. Way too much pasta water.
Thank you for your feedback! I’m sorry to hear that. I wouldn’t add all of the pasta water at once. I’d add about a 1/2 cup and continue to add as needed!
I agree, we the pasta water part is kind of vague. You should definitely try again with just adding a bit at a time to help bring everything together and keep the pan from burning… I’m going to try this recipe on Sunday.
Try as I might, I could not find spaghetti sauce. I just cooked the shrimp with some spaghetti sauce… skipped the pasta water.
Great dish!!
Glad you made it work and enjoyed!
The garlic and butter IS the sauce!!! 😁
Super simple, quick and delicious!! The cheese clumped a little bit but it was not an issue.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed!
Love this. Added grape tomatoes!
Thank you! That sounds perfect.
Thank you so much for this simple and non stressful dish Yumna! It really does taste like a restaurant style dish my 4 and 2 year old just loved it! There were no left overs as my husband had 2nd, 3rd’s and 4th’s. Definitely one for the books. Also I substituted the parm for pecorino. Absolutely delicious. Happy mama here.
You’re so welcome! So glad you all enjoyed it. Yay!!
do you add 1 cup pasta water to the sauce?
I wouldn’t add it all at once. I’d add about a 1/2 cup and continue to add as needed.
Nice flavor
Will make again
Yay! Thank you!
This is amazing!!!! Thank you for this easy recipe and terrific taste, as usual Yumna. We love it !!!
Thank you so much! Always happy to share!
I love this recipe!! I always make this with brussel spouts, pre steamed before adding to final toss of all ingredients! So delicious! Thank you very much for this quick and easy recipe!
Thank you so much! Love the sound of adding brussel sprouts!
This sounds delicious but I’m not a fan of shrimp, could I substitute for chicken?
Yes, you can!
Amazing recipe. Period.
While I’m here… I absolutely love your search feature. Intuitive and easy. You’re my go-to recipe site. You’re also completely adorable.
Thank you!!! This is so kind!
In making this dish again , I would season this shrimp more and cook it with garlic italian seasoning, oregano. Otherwise shrimp can come out bland. Also I would double the garlic butter lemon parm sauce to coat the shrimp or put the shrimp first rather than pasta.
Thank you for the feedback! That sounds like it would really enhance the flavors.
Thanks for the tips Sef A.
It doesn’t sound like it’s savoury enough but I’m going to be making it soon.
Besides, you can never have enough garlic lol.
Great recipe. A favourite go to dish that quick and super-delicious. I add a generous handful of spinach to top off the dish.
Thank you! The spinach is sure to have added a great pop of green!
Delicious, used whole wheat noodles and milk in place of pasta water. Alreaded shredded parm cheese caused a bit of clumping but still very good.
I’m glad it worked with those modifications! Love it!
Absolutely fabulous! It was as good or better than eating in a fine dining establishment. I followed your directions to a tee but when I topped it with the shrimp I added steamed broccoli as well. Mmm mmm good!
That’s amazing! Thank you!!
How much pasta water????
1 cup of pasta water
When you use 2x the recipe; should you still use 1 cup milk or pasta water or more?
I recommend starting off with 1 cup and then adjusting as you go to reach your desired consistency.
I made this last night and the whole family enjoyed it! It was really delicious.
Can I use frozen cooked shrimp?
For sure! After you thaw it, make sure to dab it dry, so the excess moisture doesn’t affect searing the shrimp properly.
Very delicious and creamy.
Thank you!
Hello. Can this be made with already grated Parmesan cheese?? Kraft brand
The parmesan cheese is used to help make the sauce and the pre-grated ones just don’t blend the same. You can use it, but the taste of the sauce won’t be as well blended. Hope that helps 🙂
Hey I tried making this today. But for some reason when I added the Parmesan to the pasta water mixture, I didn’t get a sauce consistency. The cheese sort of just ended up in a clump. Do you know why that would’ve happened?
Did you use pre-grated cheese? I recommend shredded cheese and shredding it yourself if possible. Some of the grated cheese have caking agents in them that can create lumps in the sauce.
can i sub anything for the parmesan to make it dairy free ??
You can add more vegan butter to make it more creamy before serving and maybe sprinkle some nutritional yeast for that cheesy flavor.
Love, love, loved this recipe!! I will definitely be making it again soon 🙂
So glad to hear it. Thanks so much for sharing!!
Easy and delicious!