Save There's something almost magical about the moment when shrimp hits hot butter and garlic—that sudden sizzle that fills your kitchen with a smell so good it stops you mid-thought. I learned to make this dish on a Tuesday night when I had twenty minutes and three hungry people at my table, and it became the recipe I return to whenever I need to feel like I've actually cooked something impressive without the stress. The beauty of garlic shrimp penne is that it asks so little of you but delivers the kind of flavor that makes people wonder if you went to culinary school.
I remember cooking this for my neighbor who'd just moved in next door, and she walked over carrying wine and stayed for dinner because the smell coming from my kitchen was too good to ignore. We sat on my patio eating straight from the skillet because it felt too informal to bother with plating, and somehow that made it taste even better. That's when I realized this dish has a way of turning a weeknight dinner into something that feels like celebration without pretense.
Ingredients
- Large shrimp, 400 g: They cook in moments, so freshness matters—buy them the day you plan to cook, or frozen works beautifully if thawed properly and patted dry.
- Penne pasta, 350 g: The tube shape catches and holds that garlic butter better than smooth pasta, but use whatever you love.
- Garlic, 4 cloves minced: Mince it fine and add it to hot butter just long enough to smell it—this is where your whole flavor comes from, so don't skip or hurry this step.
- Shallot, 1 small chopped: It dissolves almost invisibly into the sauce but adds a sweetness that rounds out the garlic's sharpness.
- Fresh parsley, 2 tbsp chopped: Stir it in at the very end to keep it bright and fresh rather than cooking it into submission.
- Lemon zest and juice: The zest goes in early to perfume the butter, the juice comes last to keep that citrus punch alive.
- Unsalted butter, 60 g: This is your sauce base—it needs to be good butter, the kind worth tasting on its own.
- Parmesan cheese, 2 tbsp: Grate it fresh if you can; the pre-grated stuff works but doesn't melt as creamily into the warm pasta.
- Extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp: Use this to start the shrimp and create texture in the sauce, not to drown the dish.
- Salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes: The red flakes are optional but give you a gentle heat that makes people ask what secret ingredient you used.
Instructions
- Start your water and pasta:
- Boil a big pot of salted water—it should taste like the sea—and cook your penne according to the package, but aim for that tender-with-a-slight-bite moment they call al dente. Before you drain it, fish out half a cup of that starchy pasta water and set it aside; you'll need it to turn butter into sauce.
- Prepare your shrimp:
- Pat them completely dry with paper towels—this is the difference between shrimp that sears golden and shrimp that steams. Season lightly with salt and pepper and let them sit for a moment while you get your pan hot.
- Sear the shrimp:
- Get your large skillet smoking hot over medium-high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter, then lay the shrimp in a single layer. Don't move them around; let them sit for a minute or two until they turn pink on the bottom, then flip and finish them off. They'll keep cooking a bit after, so pull them out when they're just barely opaque to avoid that rubbery texture.
- Build your aromatics:
- In the same skillet, melt the rest of your butter with the remaining olive oil, add your chopped shallot, and let it soften for about a minute. Then add your finely minced garlic and cook for just thirty seconds—you want it fragrant, not brown and bitter. This is the moment your kitchen will smell absolutely perfect.
- Layer in the bright flavors:
- Stir in your lemon zest, red pepper flakes if you're using them, and lemon juice, mixing everything together so those flavors bloom in the warm butter. This only takes a few seconds but changes everything about the dish.
- Bring it all together:
- Add your drained penne right to the skillet and toss it constantly in that garlicky butter, adding your reserved pasta water a splash at a time until you get a light, silky sauce that coats every strand. It should look loose and glossy, not dry or heavy.
- Finish and serve:
- Slide your shrimp back in, scatter the parsley over everything, sprinkle the Parmesan, and toss gently so nothing breaks. Taste and adjust your salt and pepper, then serve immediately with extra Parmesan on the side because people always want more.
Save What I love most about this dish is how it proved to me that fancy doesn't mean complicated. My eight-year-old watched me make it one night and said it looked like restaurant food, and I realized she was right—but it only took thirty minutes and a pan I could wash while she did homework. That's when cooking stopped feeling like a chore and started feeling like a small magic trick I could pull off on any weeknight.
The Secret of the Pasta Water
Most people drain their pasta and forget about the water, but that starchy liquid is the glue that holds everything together in dishes like this. When you add it to hot butter and toss it with pasta, you're creating an emulsion that coats every strand with silky richness, no cream needed. I learned this the hard way by skipping it once and ending up with greasy, separated sauce, and I've never made that mistake again.
Timing Is Everything Here
The genius of this recipe is that everything finishes at almost the same moment, which means you can have dinner on the table in thirty minutes flat. Start your water first, then prep while it heats, cook the shrimp while the pasta goes in, and build your sauce while the pasta finishes. If you stay organized and don't get distracted, the whole dish comes together like a small choreography you've practiced a hundred times.
How to Make It Your Own
This recipe is a foundation, not a rulebook, and the best part is how kindly it accepts changes. A splash of dry white wine in the garlic butter adds complexity, a handful of fresh spinach wilted in at the end adds color, even a pinch of orange zest instead of lemon shifts the whole mood. I've made it a dozen different ways depending on what's in my pantry or what I'm craving that night, and it's never disappointed.
- If you have heavy cream, add a splash when you add the pasta water for a richer, more luxurious sauce.
- Red pepper flakes can be adjusted up or down depending on how much heat you like—start with a pinch and taste as you go.
- Serve with a crisp white wine on the side, the kind with enough acidity to cut through the butter and feel like you've done something intentional with dinner.
Save This dish has become my go-to recipe for nights when I want to cook something that feels special without the stress, and it's the one my friends ask me to make again and again. There's something deeply satisfying about turning a handful of simple ingredients into something that tastes like you've been cooking all day.
Recipe FAQ
- → How do I prevent shrimp from overcooking?
Cook shrimp for only 1-2 minutes per side until just pink and opaque to ensure they stay tender and juicy.
- → Can I use other pasta shapes instead of penne?
Yes, substitutes like linguine or spaghetti work well, providing a similar texture and holding the sauce effectively.
- → What can enhance the garlic butter sauce?
Adding reserved pasta water helps create a light sauce, and a splash of cream can enrich its texture and flavor.
- → How do lemon zest and juice contribute to the dish?
They add a fresh citrus brightness that balances the richness of the garlic butter and shrimp.
- → Is this suitable for a pescatarian diet?
Yes, it features seafood and dairy without meat, fitting well within a pescatarian lifestyle.