Are you looking for a delicious, restaurant-quality pasta dinner that is on the table in under 30 minutes? An elegant yet incredibly easy meal that is perfect for a busy weeknight? This amazing, North Carolina-style Shrimp Sauté with Pasta is a celebration of simple, fresh ingredients. Tender, juicy shrimp, earthy mushrooms, and crisp peppers are all tossed in a luscious garlic-butter sauce and served over a bed of tender linguine. It’s the ultimate quick and easy dinner.
This isn’t just another pasta recipe; it’s your new secret weapon for effortless, impressive meals. We’ll show you the simple secrets to perfectly cooked, plump shrimp that are never tough or rubbery, and how to build a simple yet flavorful pan sauce in minutes. This is a classic, crowd-pleasing dish that tastes like a special occasion but comes together with weeknight ease.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Quick & Easy Pasta Dinner
What makes this Shrimp Sauté so spectacularly delicious is its classic simplicity and its focus on fresh, high-quality ingredients. The heart of the dish is a simple but incredibly flavorful garlic-butter pan sauce, created in the same skillet used to cook the shrimp and vegetables. This method captures every last drop of savory flavor. The combination of sweet, plump shrimp, earthy mushrooms, and crisp-tender green peppers is a timeless classic. Finished with a generous sprinkle of salty Romano cheese and fresh parsley, this is a complete and satisfying meal that is sure to become a new family favorite.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 25 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 4 |
The Essential Ingredients for This Classic Dish
This recipe uses a handful of simple, high-impact ingredients to create its signature savory and garlicky flavor.
- The Shrimp: The sweet and tender star of the show.
- What to Buy: You will need one pound of uncooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp. The recipe calls for a size of 31-40 per pound, which is considered a “large” shrimp and is a perfect, meaty size for this dish. High-quality frozen shrimp that you thaw yourself are a fantastic and convenient option!
- The Simple Garlic-Butter Sauce:
- Salted Butter: The rich and savory foundation of our sauce.
- Fresh Garlic: It is absolutely essential to use freshly minced garlic for the best, most aromatic and pungent flavor.
- Pan Drippings: The secret to a truly flavorful pan sauce is to build it in the same pan you use to cook the vegetables and shrimp. This allows you to incorporate all the delicious browned bits (the fond) that are left behind.
- The Vegetables: A classic, savory combination of earthy white button mushrooms and crisp-tender green bell pepper.
- The Cheese & Herbs:
- Romano Cheese: For the most authentic and delicious flavor, it is highly recommended to use a high-quality, freshly grated Romano cheese. Romano is a classic, hard, and salty Italian cheese made from sheep’s milk. Its sharp, tangy flavor is a fantastic complement to the rich shrimp and butter.
- Fresh Parsley: A final sprinkle of fresh, chopped parsley adds a beautiful pop of green color and a clean, herbaceous finish.
Step-by-Step to the Perfect Shrimp Sauté
This delicious meal comes together very quickly, so it’s a great idea to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you begin!
Step 1: Cook the Pasta (and Save That Water!)
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add your 8 ounces of uncooked linguine or spaghetti and cook according to the package directions until it is perfectly al dente (tender but still has a firm bite).
Pro Tip: Before you drain the pasta, be sure to reserve about 1/2 cup of the starchy, salty pasta water. This is a fantastic secret ingredient that can be used to help create a glossier, more cohesive sauce at the end, if needed.
Drain the cooked pasta and keep it warm.
Part 2: Sauté the Vegetables and Shrimp
Step 1: In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat.
Step 2: Add the 1/2 pound of sliced fresh mushrooms and the 1 chopped small green pepper to the hot skillet. Sauté the vegetables until they are tender.
Step 3: Stir in the 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Remove the cooked vegetables from the pan and set them aside.
Step 4: In the same pan, sauté the 1 pound of peeled and deveined shrimp in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes.
Step 5: Add the 3 cloves of minced garlic to the skillet. Continue to cook and stir until the shrimp have just turned pink and are cooked through. This will only take about 1 to 2 more minutes.
Pro Tip (How to Avoid Rubbery Shrimp!): Be very careful not to overcook the shrimp! They cook extremely fast. The moment they curl up into a “C” shape and are no longer translucent, they are perfectly cooked.
Step 6: Stir the cooked mushroom and pepper mixture back into the skillet with the shrimp and heat everything through.
Part 3: Combine and Serve
Serve the hot shrimp and vegetable mixture over a bed of your warm, cooked linguine.
Sprinkle each serving generously with the 1/2 cup of grated Romano cheese and a handful of chopped fresh parsley. If your sauce needs a little loosening, you can toss the pasta with a splash of your reserved starchy pasta water.
Easy Garlic Butter Shrimp and Pasta (A 20-Minute Meal!)
A quick and easy North Carolina-style shrimp sauté served over a bed of linguine or spaghetti. This one-pan (mostly) meal features fresh shrimp, sliced mushrooms, and chopped green pepper all sautéed in butter with fresh garlic. The cooked shrimp and vegetable mixture is then tossed together and served over hot pasta, finished with a sprinkle of grated Romano cheese and fresh parsley for a simple yet flavorful weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked linguine or spaghetti
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1 small green pepper, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 pound uncooked shrimp (31-40 per pound), peeled and deveined
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
- Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Cook the linguine according to the package directions in a large pot of salted water. Drain and keep warm.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and chopped green pepper to the skillet. Sauté until the vegetables are tender.
- Stir in the salt and pepper, then remove the vegetable mixture from the pan and set it aside.
- In the same pan, sauté the shrimp in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic to the shrimp; cook and stir for 1-2 more minutes, until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through.
- Stir the cooked mushroom and pepper mixture back into the skillet with the shrimp and heat through.
- Serve the shrimp and vegetable mixture over the warm linguine.
- Sprinkle generously with grated Romano cheese and fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
- This is a very quick meal, with the sauce and pasta cooking concurrently, making it ideal for a busy weeknight.
- Cooking the vegetables and shrimp in the same pan builds layers of flavor.
- Using a good quality Romano cheese will provide a sharp, salty finish to the dish.
What to Serve With Your Shrimp Sauté
This hearty pasta dish is a fantastic, all-in-one meal. To round it out, here are a few simple suggestions:
- Crusty Garlic Bread: A side of warm, crusty garlic bread is a must-have for sopping up every last drop of that delicious garlic-butter sauce.
- A Simple Green Salad: A crisp green salad with a bright and zesty lemon or Italian vinaigrette is the perfect, fresh counterpoint to the rich pasta.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This dish is at its absolute best when it is served fresh, right after it has been made.
- Make-Ahead: For a super-fast and impressive meal, you can get a head start by chopping all your vegetables up to a day in advance. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat this dish without overcooking the delicate shrimp is to do so gently in a skillet on the stovetop over a low heat. You may need to add a small splash of water or chicken broth to loosen up the sauce as it reheats.
For more recipe follow my pinterest account
Creative Recipe Variations
- Add a Splash of White Wine and Lemon: For a more classic “shrimp scampi” flavor, you can deglaze the pan with about 1/4 cup of a dry white wine (like a Pinot Grigio) and the juice of half a lemon after you have cooked the garlic. Let the wine bubble and reduce for a minute before you add the vegetables back to the pan.
- Add a Spicy Kick: For a delicious, spicy version, you can add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes to the skillet to sauté along with the garlic.
- Use Different Vegetables: This recipe is wonderfully versatile! Feel free to customize it with other classic, quick-cooking vegetables like sliced zucchini, chopped asparagus, or halved cherry tomatoes.
Enjoy Your New Favorite Weeknight Pasta!
You’ve just created a truly special dish that is a perfect harmony of wholesome, fresh ingredients and delicious, satisfying flavors. This Shrimp Sauté is a testament to the power of a simple, from-scratch meal to be both incredibly fast and incredibly elegant. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is sure to become a new staple in your weeknight dinner rotation.
We hope you enjoy every last, perfect, and delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves a good, easy, and impressive meal!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute secret to perfectly cooked, not tough or rubbery, shrimp?
The number one, non-negotiable secret is to not overcook them! Shrimp cook extremely fast, often in just 3-4 minutes total. The best visual cue is to watch their shape and color. As soon as the shrimp have curled from a straight shape into a gentle “C” shape and have turned from translucent grey to an opaque pink and white, they are perfectly cooked and should be removed from the heat immediately.
Q2: What is the difference between Romano cheese and Parmesan cheese?
While they are both hard, salty, Italian cheeses that are perfect for grating, Parmigiano-Reggiano is made from cow’s milk and has a nutty, slightly fruity flavor. Pecorino Romano, on the other hand, is made from sheep’s milk and is typically a bit saltier and tangier than Parmesan. It is a fantastic, classic choice for seafood pasta dishes.
Q3: Can I use pre-cooked, frozen shrimp for this recipe?
It is highly recommended to use raw, uncooked shrimp for this recipe. Because shrimp cook so quickly, using already-cooked shrimp and then heating them again in the skillet will almost always result in shrimp that is overcooked, tough, and rubbery.
Q4: Can I make this recipe gluten-free?
Yes, it’s very easy to make this recipe gluten-free! Simply substitute the linguine with your favorite brand of gluten-free spaghetti or other long pasta. All the other ingredients in the recipe are naturally gluten-free.
Q5: What is the best way to peel and devein shrimp?
If your shrimp are not already peeled, simply pull off the legs and then peel the shell away from the body, leaving the tail on if you desire for presentation. To “devein” the shrimp, use a small, sharp paring knife to make a shallow slit along the back of the shrimp. You will see a small, dark “vein” (which is actually the digestive tract). Simply use the tip of your knife or a toothpick to lift it out and discard it.