Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta
Shrimp seared fast in butter, then a garlic cream sauce built in the same pan — white wine, heavy cream, parmesan, lemon. The pasta finishes in the sauce with a splash of its starchy cooking water. Twenty-five minutes. The only thing that matters is not overcooking the shrimp, which takes about 90 seconds per side and no more.
Ingredients
- 400 glinguine or spaghetti
- 500 glarge shrimp
- 6 piecegarlic cloves
- 200 mlheavy cream
- 100 mldry white wine
- 50 gparmesan
- 3 tbspbutter
- 1 tbspolive oil
- 1 tsplemon juice
- ½ tspsmoked paprika
- ½ tspchili flakes
- 1 tspsalt
- ½ tspblack pepper
- 2 tbspfresh parsley
Method
- Cook the pasta in heavily salted boiling water until 1 minute short of al dente — it will finish in the sauce. Before draining, reserve at least half a cup of the starchy cooking water. Drain without rinsing.
- Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Season with smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Dry shrimp sear much better than wet ones.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and the olive oil. When it foams, add the shrimp in a single layer — work in batches if needed. Cook 1 to 1.5 minutes per side until pink and curled into a C-shape. Remove to a plate immediately. Do not wait for them to curl into a tight O — that means overcooked.
- Lower the heat to medium. Melt the remaining butter in the same pan. Add the sliced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring so it does not burn. Pour in the wine and let it reduce by half, about 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream and chili flakes. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Add the pasta directly into the sauce. Toss well, adding pasta water a tablespoon at a time until the sauce coats every strand and looks glossy. Add the parmesan and toss again.
- Return the shrimp to the pan. Squeeze in the lemon juice, stir once, and serve immediately in warm bowls with parsley on top.
FAQ
The sauce breaks when cream is overheated or simmered too aggressively. After adding cream, keep the heat low — barely simmering. Lemon juice added too fast into hot sauce can also curdle the cream; add it at the very end in small amounts. Cold cream poured into a very hot pan is another cause — remove from heat for a few seconds before adding. If the sauce turns thin anyway, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of pasta cooking water. The starch binds the sauce and adds creaminess without more boiling.
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Comments (1)
The widest pan you own works best for creamy garlic shrimp pasta. Maximum surface area means faster evaporation, more concentrated sauce, and better coating. A deep pot keeps things too wet.