This simple Shrimp Linguine recipe is covered in a lemon butter sauce that will have you licking your plate clean! The best part is it’s made in less than 20 minutes!

Do you love seafood recipes as much as I do? Try Baked Salmon, Fish and Chips, Lobster Roll, or Easy Homemade Crab Cakes!

A pan filled with Shrimp Linguine in a garlic lemon sauce and parmesan cheese.

Why I love this recipe:

  • Basic ingredients – Once you’ve got your shrimp, all you need to make shrimp scampi is butter, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon, crushed red pepper, and parmesan cheese.
  • Fast (20 minutes) -. This is the easiest dish EVER, and it’s just a bonus that’s it’s delicious and impressive.
  • Kid-friendly – Even at 1 and 2 years old, my kids LOVED this meal.  Cut the shrimp into small pieces and serve with their favorite noodles.

Purchasing Shrimp: What to Know

If you live in an area where you can buy fresh shrimp, lucky you! Definitely do that.

For everyone else, you can purchase shrimp at the store in all varieties (large, medium, small, shell on/off, tail on/off, fresh, frozen, etc.) but for this shrimp pasta recipe we recommend buying extra large, tail-on, un-cooked shrimp. Once thawed, remove the shells.

I usually buy frozen shrimp from the freezer section. You can also buy thawed shrimp from the seafood counter. Remember that the higher quality the shrimp, the better your shrimp linguine will taste.

To Thaw Shrimp: Leave the shrimp in the refrigerator overnight OR pour them into a bowl and cover them with cold water for about an hour. Drain the shrimp and use paper towels to soak up the water.

Raw shrimp just thawed and rinsed, resting in a colander.

How to make Shrimp Linguine:

Cook Shrimp: Season the shrimp with salt and pepper.  Melt butter in a large skillet, add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the shrimp and sauté just until they turn pink, about 4-5 minutes, tossing often.

A pan with freshly cooked shrimp in butter for Shrimp Linguine.

Add Seasonings:  Remove shrimp from the heat and add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes.

Two images showing parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes being stirred on freshly cooked shrimp.

Toss to Combine: Sprinkle parmesan cheese on garlic shrimp pasta and toss everything gently. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

Two images showing linguine and parmesan cheese being added to shrimp pasta.

Serve: Serve shrimp linguine with crusty bread or homemade breadsticks.

A white plate with a big serving of Shrimp Linguine on it.

Recipe Variations:

  • Add White Wine: Add ¼ cup of white wine in step 3, sautéing for a few minutes to let it cook down a little.
  • Add Veggies: Toss in some asparagus and cherry tomatoes.
  • Zucchini Noodles: For a healthier twist, swap out the linguine for zucchini noodles.

More Shrimp Recipes:

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Recipe

A pan filled with fresh Shrimp Linguine, ready to serve.
Prep 3 minutes
Cook 17 minutes
Total 20 minutes
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Ingredients
 
 

Instructions
 

  • Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a little bit of oil and salt to the boiling water and cook the linguine according to package instructions.
  • Meanwhile, season the shrimp with salt and pepper and set aside.
  • Add the butter and olive oil to an extra-large skillet over medium-low. Once the butter has melted, add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute, being careful not to burn it. 
  • Add the shrimp and sauté just until they turn pink, about 4-5 minutes, tossing often.
  • Remove from the heat and add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. 
  • Toss to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
  • When the pasta is cooked, drain the water and add the noodles to the sauté pan. 
  • Top with fresh parmesan cheese and toss everything gently to combine. Serve.

Notes

Variations:
  • Add White Wine: Add ¼ cup of white wine in step 3, sautéing for a few minutes to let it cook down a little.
  • Add Veggies: Toss in some asparagus and cherry tomatoes.
  • Zucchini Noodles: For a healthier twist, swap out the linguine for zucchini noodles.

Nutrition

Calories: 608kcalCarbohydrates: 72gProtein: 28gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 147mgSodium: 699mgPotassium: 387mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1036IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 174mgIron: 2mg

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Recipe adapted from Ina Garten.

*I originally shared this recipe May 2016. Updated February 2020 and October 2022.

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Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Delicious! Added cherry tomatoes and extra lemon and zest as well as about a 1/3 cup pasta water. Also added a bit of old bay to shrimp. So fresh and light

  2. 5 stars
    Loved it. Didn’t have lemon so used 2 Tb lemon juice from the fridge. At the end, added the parmigiano reggiano with some pasta water to the pasta to make an emulsion. Learn to use the pasta water!

  3. 4 stars
    I only used half as much lemon as the recipe called for, and my sons said lemon was all they could taste. It even covered up the garlic (and I put a lot of garlic in it). I also put a lot of red pepper flakes, but I could have used more. It was a bit bland, but I really liked it anyway.

  4. 2 stars
    I usually have good outcomes when using your recipes and I trust them, but…You can’t cook the garlic for five or six minutes and not burn it. I know better but followed your directions and ended up with a lot of burnt garlic and underdone shrimp. I also added several herbs and still it was very bland. I had to add a lot more liquid than called for. Wine really makes this dish, so I highly suggest it.

    1. 5 stars
      Absolutely wonderful and “open ended” recipe! I had fun adding my own creative twists like chopped red bells and black truffle parmesan seasoning 👌🏼 Thank you so very much for sharing your recipe, Lauren!

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