Garlic Shrimp Spaghetti (Quick and Easy)

This shrimp spaghetti has perfectly cooked shrimp and pasta coated in a flavorful garlic butter sauce with a dash of red pepper flakes and freshly grated parmesan cheese. It's the ideal busy weeknight dinner, and you can have it ready and on the table in about 15 minutes! 

The Best Shrimp Spaghetti

Pasta is one of the best meals you can make to feed a group of people, and a pasta dish doesn't get easier than this spaghetti with shrimp.

It's effortless to make, and you'll have it ready in no time. Not to mention it's crazy delicious!

This shrimp spaghetti recipe is made with tender shrimp cooked in melted butter. It's tossed with al dente spaghetti noodles in garlic oil and topped with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese.

Light, savory, slightly spicy, and absolutely loaded with flavor, this spaghetti with shrimp has it all! Oh, and you can make the meal even better by serving it with these Olive Garden breadsticks or Italian cheese bread.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Crowd favorite. Everyone who's tried this says it's one of their favorite spaghetti recipes ever, so it's a guaranteed winner whether you're hosting or making it for a busy weeknight dinner.

One pan meal. After you cook the spaghetti, everything else for this garlic shrimp pasta comes together in just one pan, and the cooking process is a breeze.

Easy to customize. You can easily add in or take out anything you want from this recipe depending on your taste preference, and it's guaranteed to turn out delicious no matter what.

Ingredients

This shrimp spaghetti is made with fresh and simple ingredients, and those ingredients are:

• ½ lb. large shrimp, deveined and peeled
• 16 oz. spaghetti 
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
• lemon juice, parmesan cheese optional, for garnish

By the way, you can use many of the ingredients from this recipe to make this shrimp scampi without wine, so consider giving that recipe a try next!

How To Make Shrimp Spaghetti

1. Prepare the shrimp: Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and set it aside for later.

2. Boil the pasta: Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until it's one minute shy of al-dente. Reserve one cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and set it aside.

3. Cook the shrimp: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and add the shrimp to it. Cook the shrimp for about 2-3 minutes until they are just cooked through and opaque. Remove them and set aside.

4. Build the sauce: In the same pan you cooked the shrimp in, add the olive oil. Then add the garlic and cook until the edges are lightly golden. Stir in the crushed red pepper flakes to combine with the garlic.

5. Assemble the pasta: Add the cooked spaghetti along with ½ cup of the pasta water and toss well to combine it with the garlic sauce. Add the shrimp, season everything to taste with salt, and stir to mix it all together. 

6, Garnish and serve: Once the pasta is tender and has absorbed most of the sauce, remove it from the heat and mix in the parsley. Serve hot with fresh lemon juice and parmesan cheese on top. Enjoy!

Tips To Make The Best Recipe

• Use frozen shrimp if you don't have fresh shrimp on hand. Allow it to thaw overnight, or transfer the frozen shrimp to a plastic bag and submerge it under cold water for 20 minutes before using.
• Add olive oil to the noodles after draining to prevent them from sticking together.
• Add more ingredients like cherry tomatoes, chopped bacon, or sundried tomatoes for extra flavor.
• Slowly add more reserved pasta water to the pasta sauce to make the noodles more tender.

How To Store Shrimp Spaghetti

In the fridge: Store leftover shrimp spaghetti in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4 days.

In the freezer: Transfer the leftover spaghetti with shrimp to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Reheating: Put the shrimp and spaghetti back in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water or broth. Warm for a few minutes stirring frequently until it reaches your desired temperature. Allow the pasta to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

FAQS About This Shrimp Spaghetti Recipe

What do you serve with shrimp spaghetti?

Shrimp spaghetti goes well with a side of bread, like these Texas Roadhouse rolls or this garlic bread. The bread is a great way to soak up the delicious flavors of the pasta sauce. It's also terrific with this house salad or this La Scala chopped salad for a lighter side.

What spices go with shrimp pasta?

Crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and additions of fresh herbs like basil, chopped fresh parsley, and oregano go well.

What's the best pasta for shrimp pasta?

Spaghetti is the perfect pasta for shrimp pasta, but linguini and angel hair pasta work great too.

Can I add veggies to spaghetti with shrimp?

Absolutely! You can add a variety of veggies like broccoli, cherry tomatoes, spinach, asparagus, or chopped bell peppers.

More Shrimp Recipes

• Curry shrimp
• Pan seared shrimp
• Tomato paste pasta sauce
• Chicken broccoli alfredo
• Shrimp scampi without wine
• Beer battered shrimp
• Chicken and shrimp alfredo

Print