Start the pasta
Boil pasta in well-salted water until 1 minute shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.
Recipes › Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta
Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta
A glossy garlic-Parmesan cream sauce with real pan-seared shrimp — not shrimp boiled in cream until the pasta is ready.
Jump to RecipeAI-generated serving illustration. It is not a photograph of a tested batch or a doneness reference.
The Recipe
Ingredients
Step-by-Step Instructions
Sear the shrimp
Pat shrimp very dry and season. Heat a wide skillet over medium-high, add olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter, and sear shrimp 60 to 90 seconds per side until nearly opaque. Transfer out.
Build the garlic base
Lower heat to medium. Add 2 tablespoons butter, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook about 30 seconds without browning. Add wine and reduce by half.
Make the sauce
Add cream and simmer gently 2 minutes. Lower the heat and whisk in Parmesan a handful at a time.
Toss the pasta
Add drained pasta and 1/3 cup reserved pasta water. Toss vigorously until glossy, adding more water as needed.
Return shrimp off the clock
Add shrimp, lemon zest, lemon juice and parsley. Toss 30 seconds, then turn off the heat.
Serve loose and glossy
Finish with the final tablespoon butter and black pepper. Serve immediately before the sauce tightens.
OPTIONAL UPGRADE
Flavor Bomb
Keep the core recipe clean, or flip this on for one or two high-impact upgrades.
How to know it's done
Use these recipe-specific texture cues. Color and curl alone cannot establish safety; use a thermometer to check 145°F / 63°C at the thickest part for cooked shrimp.
ShrimpSense Notes
The little details that make a big difference.
Cream is not a shrimp braise
Build the sauce without the shrimp. Return them at the end.
Pasta water controls texture
Use starchy water to loosen and emulsify instead of adding more cream.
21/25 survives the sear
Large shrimp brown before their centers overshoot.
Lemon comes late
Acid brightens the finished sauce; too early can make the dairy look broken.