30-Minute Dinner Recipes for Fast & Easy Weeknights
My go-to 30-minute dinner recipe for fast weeknights! This garlic butter shrimp scampi pasta is incredibly easy, full of flavor, and on the table in under 30 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients
12 ounces dry linguine
1 ½ pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
½ cup dry white wine (like Pinot Grigio)
Juice and zest of 1 large lemon
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Cook linguine in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
Season shrimp with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium-high heat. Cook shrimp for 1-2 minutes per side until pink. Transfer to a plate.
In the same skillet, add remaining 2 tbsp butter, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add white wine and lemon juice. Simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
Add drained pasta, cooked shrimp, lemon zest, and most of the parsley to the skillet. Toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time until a glossy sauce forms.
Serve immediately, garnished with remaining parsley.
Notes
For the juiciest shrimp, pat them very dry before seasoning and do not overcrowd the pan. If you don’t have white wine, substitute with low-sodium chicken broth plus an extra tbsp of lemon juice. The sauce will seem thin at first but will thicken as it coats the pasta.