If you love quick dinners that taste like a restaurant meal but come together in minutes, this Shrimp Spaghetti Recipe is about to become one of your favorites. Tender shrimp are sautéed with garlic, a touch of olive oil, and just the right seasonings, then tossed with perfectly cooked spaghetti and a squeeze of bright lemon. All simple ingredients that pack huge flavor.
Olivia’s Personal Note
My family and I love Italian pasta recipes, especially because my husband’s father’s side of the family is Italian, and every gathering we go to includes authentic Italian dishes. From classics like baked ziti with ground beef to simple pasta nights, Italian food has always been a big part of our table. So if I loved Italian food before, after 14 years of marriage, I love it even more.
We also love seafood with our pasta (hello, tuna pasta! So good!). Anytime I’m craving a quick seafood pasta meal, this is one of the recipes I go for.
With juicy shrimp, perfectly al dente pasta, fresh parsley, and a rich garlic-butter sauce coating every strand, this dish feels impressive without any fuss. It’s perfect for busy weeknights or whenever you want a satisfying meal without overthinking dinner. And on top of that, this shrimp spaghetti is ready in just 25 minutes!
What’s not to love? I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! 🍝💛
Key Ingredients:
Spaghetti — I’ve cooked this dish with all kinds of pastas, but classic spaghetti is my tried-and-true favorite. It holds that garlicky sauce beautifully and gives you that satisfying twirl on the fork every time.
Shrimp — I’ve tested this recipe with both smaller and larger shrimp, and either works. What I’ve learned is that really fresh uncooked shrimp (or well-thawed frozen uncooked shrimp) makes all the difference. Tender, juicy, and perfectly coated in sauce.
Garlic — I don’t recommend making this recipe with garlic powder. Fresh garlic is where it’s at! Just a few cloves, finely minced, add so much aroma and depth, and every bite tastes better because of it.
Butter — I’ve tried making this sauce with just olive oil, but when you add real butter (just a bit), it gives the sauce this rich, silky finish that I always come back to.
Lemon Juice — I’ve squeezed lemons on this pasta more times than I can count. A little fresh lemon juice brightens everything up and balances all that buttery, garlicky goodness.
How To Make Shrimp Spaghetti
Step 1: We start with perfectly cooked spaghetti, drained and ready to go.
Tip: Don’t forget to save a little pasta water. It’s the secret to a silky sauce later.
Step 2: Now the shrimp go into a hot pan with olive oil and seasoning. You’ll see them turn pink and slightly golden in just a couple of minutes.
Step 3: Once the shrimp are out, we’re adding garlic to the same pan so it soaks up all that flavor. This is where the magic happens and your kitchen smells amazing.
Tip: Keep the heat medium-low so the garlic gets fragrant, not burnt.
Step 4: Now the spaghetti goes back into the pan along with the shrimp. Toss, toss, toss until every strand is coated in that garlicky goodness.
Tip: Splash in some reserved pasta water to bring it all together.
Finish and serve: Top it off with grated Parmesan, fresh parsley, and maybe a squeeze of lemon if you’re feeling fancy. And just like that. Dnner is done.
Taste right before serving and adjust salt and pepper. It makes all the difference.
Olivia’s Recipe Tips
Don’t overcook the shrimp — cook them just until pink and opaque (about 2–3 min per side). Overcooked shrimp get rubbery.
Toast the garlic gently — cook garlic on low heat so it flavors the oil without burning (burnt garlic turns bitter).
Finish with fresh lemon & parsley — a squeeze of lemon and fresh parsley brightens all the flavors.
Garlic Shrimp Spaghetti Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 lb large shrimp peeled and deveined
- salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 4 anchovy fillets minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup, then drain and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until the shrimp turn pink and opaque. Remove the shrimp from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Add the minced garlic, anchovy fillets and lemon juice. Cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
- Add the cooked spaghetti to the skillet with the garlic butter. Toss to coat, adding a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce.
- Stir in the Parmesan cheese, tossing until the pasta is glossy and well coated. Return the cooked shrimp to the skillet and toss gently to combine. Cook for another 1–2 minutes, just to heat everything through.
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately with extra Parmesan, if desired.
Notes
- You can purchase peeled and deveined shrimp to save time on prepping.
- Feel free to use fresh or frozen shrimp! Just make sure you fully thaw the shrimp beforehand.
- When the pasta is in the hot water, give it a stir every minute or so to keep the noodles making and from sticking to the pot.
- To store: Keep the shrimp and spaghetti in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
- To reheat: You can reheat the leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- To freeze: You can freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?
Follow @primaverakitchen on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag it #primaverakitchen. We’d love to see your recreation.
It must be such a relief that you made your deadline and are able to breathe again. I’m all about simple recipes on busy weeknights, and everything you’ve been making looks so tasty! I could easily see this pasta becoming a staple in my home – deeelicious ineed!
The photo of recipe: “Garlic Shrimp Spaghetti” shows Asparagus, which is not mentioned in ingredients..
or in cooking directions..
OR Is this only for photo purpose, or is these vegetable actually used in recipe ??
If used, at which point in cooking, is it used. Thank you for a reply..
Olga
Hi, Olga. My bad… This vegetable is actually used in the recipe. I just added it on the instructions!
Thanks for noticing that 😉
What exactly is “pasta cooking liquid”? Do you mean water?
Yes, the water you used to cook your spaghetti.
Sounds delicious, Olivia…I’m a bit confused about instructions 5 & 6…5 says to ‘add the pasta and cooking liquid.’ and 6 says ‘add parsle, cook and add to pasta…?’ Could you clarify please…sorry if I have misunderstood…
Is it possible to use cooked shrimp? Or will the shrimp come out tough?
Easy and tasty! I used broccoli instead of asparagus because that’s what I had. Also used way more crushed red pepper to make it spicier.
I’ll definitely make this again.
Great. Broccoli works great in this recipe 😉
I forgot to snap a pic. This recipe is simple to make and it’s absolutely delicious
Aww thank you! So happy to hear that!
I added about 1/2 C of cream to the asparagus mixture and brought it to a boil before dumping it into the spaghetti. Otherwise there would be hardly any sauce. I used angel hair pasta.
I used cooked deveined shrimp and angel hair pasta. I added thin slices of red bell pepper and about a C. of cream. We loved it!
Happy you liked it!