Ingredients
- 1 lb linguine
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup reserved pasta water
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Freshly grated Parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Cook linguine in heavily salted boiling water according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
- While the pasta cooks, pat shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper.
- In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook for 1–2 minutes per side until pink. Remove and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining butter and garlic slices. Cook for 1–2 minutes until garlic is golden (not brown!).
- Pour in the white wine and lemon juice. Let it simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Add the drained pasta, cooked shrimp, and red pepper flakes. Toss everything together, adding pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce coats the noodles.
- Finish with fresh parsley and a generous amount of Parmesan.
Tips
- The pasta water is liquid gold — its starch helps create a silky, emulsified sauce.
- Don't overcook the shrimp. Pull them out as soon as they turn pink; they'll finish cooking when tossed with the hot pasta.
- Substitute with any long pasta: spaghetti, fettuccine, or bucatini all work beautifully.