Creamy Garlic Shrimp Scampi Pasta

Ingredients

• 360 g shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• 2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 38 g garlic (finely chopped (about 8–10 cloves))
• 140 g dry spaghetti
• 0.333 cup chicken stock (or chicken bouillon mixed with water)
• 0.5 cup heavy cream
• 0.5 cup pasta water (reserved from boiling spaghetti)
• 5 g fresh parsley (rough chopped)
• Parmesan cheese (to taste)
• 0.25 tsp salt (plus more for pasta water and to taste)
• 0.25 tsp black pepper (plus more to taste)
• 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
• lemon juice (one squeeze)

Steps

1. 1

   Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente.

2. 2

   Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water before draining the spaghetti.

3. 3

   Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels.

4. 4

   Season the shrimp with 1 tbsp olive oil, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, and ½ tsp smoked paprika.

5. 5

   Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.

6. 6

   Add the shrimp to the skillet and sear for about 2 minutes per side, or until fully cooked and opaque.

7. 7

   Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.

8. 8

   Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp butter to the same skillet.

9. 9

   Add the chopped garlic and sauté for 30–60 seconds (or less if the pan is still very hot) until fragrant, stirring frequently to ensure it doesn't burn.

10. 10

    Pour in the chicken stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan.

11. 11

    Stir in the heavy cream and let the sauce simmer for 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.

12. 12

    Add a handful of Parmesan cheese and stir until melted and smooth, then squeeze in some lemon juice.

13. 13

    Add the cooked spaghetti to the sauce.

14. 14

    Pour in some of the reserved pasta water and toss until the sauce coats the pasta, adding more water as needed to reach your desired consistency.

15. 15

    Return the shrimp to the pan and toss everything together for 1 minute to warm through.

16. 16

    Stir in the chopped parsley.

17. 17

    Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed, bearing in mind that the pasta water and Parmesan already add saltiness.

Notes

Be careful not to burn the garlic when sautéing; if the pan is still very hot from the shrimp, it may take less than 30 seconds. The saltiness of the final dish depends heavily on how much you salted your pasta water.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• shrimp
• pasta
• seafood
• dinner
• easy
• creamy
• garlic