Butter Garlic Shrimp Pasta
If you are looking for a delicious, easy, and light seafood recipe for those balmy summer evenings, try this garlic butter shrimp pasta!
This week in London we’re having a serious heatwave. No seriously. It’s been hovering over 33 Celsius (91 Fahrenheit) with a “feel like” temperature of 36-39 Celsius (96 – 102 Fahrenheit). Unless you are by the seaside, this relentless heat is very unpleasant, to say the least. Sometimes I wonder how Kenz and I grew up with this intense heat in our respective hometowns in California. Oh yes, I am reminded that all homes are equipped with central air-conditioning. Plus, we have the good fortune of having neighborhood friends with swimming pools.
With the hot weather, I am not looking forward to emitting extra heat from my west-facing kitchen. Plus, we aren’t keen on using the BroilKing when the mercury rises above 30 Celsius. So what to make on a hot summer day that is equally easy and delicious? Enter Butter Garlic Shrimp Pasta.
- Shrimp, like all seafood, is quick to cook which means you can whip up dinner in no time, perfect for a midweek meal.
- Butter and garlic is a match made in heaven. Together, buttery and garlicky goodness brings out the lovely flavours in seafood.
- Although shrimp gets a bad reputation for being high in cholesterol, shrimp is low in calories, high in protein, and rich in nutrients such as iodine and omega-3s.
- Of course, shrimp is also delicious cooked in every imaginable way from grilled, broiled, and sautéed.
If you asked my seafood-loving father, he would say that the best tasting shrimp are the fresh ones with the head and shell on. But seriously no one has time to shell and devein two dozen shrimp. I know I don’t! Unless you’re hosting a Louisiana style “seafood boil,” save yourself time especially as busy parents, and buy the prepared fresh shrimp for this easy peasy pasta recipe.
Happy summer everyone and stay cool!
Butter Garlic Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- ½ pound 226 grams spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine
- 1 pound 500 g medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 8 tablespoons 1 stick unsalted butter, divided
- 4-5 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional or to taste
- ½ pound 200 g plum tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- Lemon zest to garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain well. Optional: reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes (optional), and saute, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and saute 5-7 minutes until tomato is blistered.
- Add shrimp, season with salt and pepper (to taste) and saute, stirring occasionally, until pink, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.
- Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in the skillet. Stir in pasta and Parmesan about 2 minutes. Stir in shrimp.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley and lemon zest (optional).
