Lemon Butter Shrimp Pasta Lite (Print Version)

Succulent shrimp with delicate angel hair pasta in a zesty lemon-garlic butter sauce, finished with fresh parsley.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

→ Pasta

02 - 8 oz angel hair pasta

→ Sauce

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

→ Garnish

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

# How-To:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook angel hair pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
02 - While pasta cooks, pat shrimp dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt and pepper.
03 - In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer; cook 1–2 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 pan bottom.
06 - Add drained pasta to the skillet, tossing to coat 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 - Serve immediately with extra lemon wedges on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in minutes but tastes like something from a nice Italian restaurant
  • Its light enough for weeknights but impressive enough for date night
  • The lemon butter clings to every strand of angel hair perfectly
02 -
  • The pasta water trick is what makes restaurant sauces silky instead of broken and oily
  • Room temperature butter melts more evenly, but honestly I have used cold plenty of times and it still works
  • Do not skip drying the shrimp or you will never get that nice sear
03 -
  • Room temperature shrimp cook more evenly, but if you forgot to take them out just decrease the sear time slightly
  • A microplane makes the finest lemon zest without hitting the bitter white pith underneath
  • Leftovers make an amazing cold pasta salad the next day
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