Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Quick answer

Total time: 35 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 9

About this dish

Creamy garlic shrimp pasta begins with a slow, low-heat saute of minced garlic in olive oil and butter.

The garlic should be pulled when it turns pale gold rather than brown, which preserves its sweet, mellow depth without any bitterness. Shrimp go in next and cook for roughly two minutes in total, just long enough for both sides to turn pink. At that point the flesh is at its sweetest and the texture is still springy. The shrimp come out of the pan and rest while heavy cream goes in, simmering over medium-low heat for two to three minutes. During that simmer the garlic-infused fat and the shrimp juices left in the pan dissolve into the cream, building the sauce's depth without any additional flavoring. Spaghetti is boiled one minute short of the package time so it finishes cooking in the sauce rather than on its own. Grated Parmesan and a small ladle of pasta water go in together, and the mixture is tossed until the cheese melts into a smooth, silky coating that clings evenly to the noodles. The reserved shrimp return for a final thirty seconds of warming, just enough to heat through without firming up, so every bite carries both the tender sweetness of the seafood and the rich, savory garlic cream.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

spaghetti180 gg

shrimp220 gg

heavy cream180 mlml

garlic5 eaea

parmesan cheese35 gg

olive oil1 tbsptbsp

butter1 tbsptbsp

salt½ tsptsp

black pepper¼ tsptsp

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Season

Cook 180 g spaghetti in well-salted boiling water for 1 minute less than the package time.

Save a little pasta water before draining so the sauce can be loosened later if it thickens too much.
2

Season

Pat 220 g shrimp dry, then season lightly with salt and black pepper.

Finely mince 5 garlic cloves and keep them ready, since the garlic needs gentle heat and should not wait in a hot pan.
3

Control

Warm 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a pan over low heat.

Add the minced garlic and stir until it smells sweet and turns pale gold, stopping before it browns and becomes bitter.
4

Control

Spread the shrimp in the garlic-scented pan and cook over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes total.

Turn once, and remove them as soon as both sides turn pink so they stay springy.
5

Control

Pour 180 ml heavy cream into the same pan and simmer over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes.

Scrape the bottom as it bubbles gently so the garlic fat and shrimp juices blend into the cream.
6

Finish

Add the spaghetti and 35 g grated parmesan, then loosen with pasta water 1-2 tbsp at a time until the sauce coats the noodles.

Return the shrimp for 30 seconds, taste, and finish with black pepper.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Sautéing garlic low and slow prevents bitterness and preserves sweet depth for the pasta.
Finish cue: Add the spaghetti and 35 g grated parmesan, then loosen with pasta water 1-2 tbsp at a time until the sauce coats the noodles.
Avoid this: Shrimp turn rubbery if overcooked, so remove as soon as they turn pink.