Italian-American · main

Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta

Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta reads umami 7.9, richness 6.4 and salinity 6.0 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian-American main, about 19 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 9.3 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.9 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 6.9 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.2 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.9 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.1 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.9 · Richness 6.4 · Salinity 6.0 · Citrus 5.5 · Sourness 5.0 · Marine & Briny 4.8 · Fruity 4.4 · Allium 3.6 · Funk & Ferment 2.4 · Herbaceous 2.0 · Nutty 1.8 · Heat 1.6 · Sweetness 1.6 · Floral 1.6 · Warm Spice 1.3 · Earthy 1.1 · Bitterness 1.0

What's in it (12)

• thin spaghetti — 340 g
• shrimp — 454 g
• salt — 5 g
• freshly ground black pepper — 3 g
• olive oil — 41 g
• unsalted butter — 82 g
• garlic — 18 g
• red chili flakes — 3 g
• dry white wine — 118 g
• lemon — 65 g
• flat-leaf parsley — 15 g
• parmesan cheese — 57 g

Time & effort: about 19 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 88.7 kcal, 8.8 g protein, 8.4 g fat, 5.5 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until just shy of al dente, about 8 minutes (roughly 1 minute less than the package directs). Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, then drain.
2. Meanwhile, pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and toss with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the butter foams. Add the shrimp in a single layer and sear until pink and just opaque, about 1 minute per side, 2 minutes total. Transfer to a plate right away — they'll finish warming through later, so don't let them cook further here.
4. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter to the same skillet along with the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and just turning golden at the edges, 45-60 seconds — pull it off the heat the moment it colors, before it browns further and turns bitter.
5. Pour in the wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
6. Let the wine simmer until reduced by about half, 2-3 minutes.
7. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water until the sauce turns glossy and slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
8. Add the drained linguine to the skillet and toss with tongs to coat, adding a splash more pasta water if the sauce looks tight, until the noodles are glossy and the sauce clings to every strand, 1-2 minutes.
9. Return the shrimp and any juices collected on the plate to the skillet along with the lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley; toss until the shrimp are heated through, about 1 minute.
10. Remove from the heat, stir in the Parmesan, and season with the remaining salt to taste. Plate immediately, finishing with extra parsley.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Skillet Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles — Italian-American
• Shrimp Scampi with Linguine — Italian-American
• Calabrian Chili Shrimp Pasta — Italian
• Shrimp Scampi Flatbread — Italian-American
• Lemon Garlic Shrimp Orzo — Mediterranean

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.