This garlic shrimp pasta is a wonderful one pan weeknight dinner! It’s got tender shrimp, earthy cremini mushrooms, and fresh tomatoes, all tossed in a garlicky and buttery wine sauce. Easy for a casual meal at home yet elegant enough for entertaining!
I like to finish with lots of freshly chopped parsley and parmesan cheese. This easy weeknight dinner takes just 30 minutes or less to make. It is also prep-ahead friendly and reheats very well the next day!
On busy weeknights, I love an easy and complete pasta dinner, such as my Chicken Artichoke Pasta or this amazing Chicken Piccata Pasta. Today’s recipe, Garlic Shrimp Pasta, is actually one of the first recipes I’ve ever published on the blog, and it’s been a favorite ever since!
This garlic shrimp pasta with mushrooms is light, refreshing, and satisfying. Tender, seared shrimp pair perfectly with al dente fettuccine coated in a light, buttery and garlicky wine sauce. It’s got fresh tomatoes, cremini mushrooms, lots of fragrant parsley and parmesan cheese.
The seared shrimp is pretty simple, but I sometimes upgrade to my Lemon Marinated Shrimp to pack extra citrus flavors. So good!
It’s the kind of dish that you can make your own! Add in your favorite veggies (I love adding spinach!) or whatever you have in your fridge.
If you are looking for more easy weeknight pasta meals, check out my Chicken Bruschetta Pasta, Chicken Broccoli Ziti, or my favorite Lemon Garlic Pasta!
Why I love making garlic shrimp pasta:
- Easy weeknight meal. With minimal prep, this meal comes together in just 30 minutes or less.
- Light, fresh, and flavorful. Lots of fresh ingredients here. You’ll love the garlicky and buttery flavors too!
- Make ahead and prep-ahead friendly!
- Customizable! This is a great recipe to use up whatever veggies you have in the fridge.
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Ingredients Notes
Below are a few helpful ingredient notes from recipe testing. As always, quantities are listed in the recipe card down below.
- Pasta: Fettuccine, spaghetti or linguine are all great options.
- Shrimp: Preferably extra large, fully thawed, peeled and deveined.
- Red pepper flakes: Optional but gives a nice subtle kick!
- Unsalted butter: Adds a rich flavoring. It’s used twice – once for sautéing the mushrooms, and then for tossing with the cooked fettuccine at the end.
- Garlic: Minced, the aromatic that helps build the flavor.
- Cremini mushrooms: Sliced. You can also use white button mushrooms or baby bella.
- White wine: Used for deglazing the pan and to build light and thin sauce. I use Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay. Substitute with chicken or vegetable broth.
- Cherry tomatoes: Can also use roma tomatoes.
- Italian parsley: Adds a really nice touch of fragrance and freshness. I use a generous amount!
- Parmesan cheese: Preferably freshly grated, but pre-shedded will work just as fine.
- Olive oil, salt, and pepper
Step-by-Step Tutorial
This garlic shrimp pasta comes together in just a few simple steps. Let’s make it!
Step 1: Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente, reserving some pasta water. Season shrimp with olive oil, salt, black pepper and the red pepper flakes.
Step 2: Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook shrimp, about 3 minutes per side until cooked through and golden brown. Remove and set aside.
Step 3: In the same pan, melt butter then sauté the mushrooms and garlic. Add the white wine to deglaze. This will add so much flavor!
Step 4: Toss in the cherry tomatoes and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Next, add the cooked pasta back with some reserved pasta water as if needed to make a light sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 5: Return to cooked shrimp and toss with more butter for richness. Toss to combine.
Step 6: Toss your garlic shrimp pasta with lots of grated parmesan cheese and freshly chopped parsley.
Tips for Success
- Cook the pasta until al dente since it will continue to cook slightly once added to the pan.
- Reserve some pasta water. You may need to splash to loosen the pasta and create a very light sauce.
- If not using wine, replace with vegetable or chicken broth. It’s needed to deglaze the pan and to build a thin sauce.
- Shrimp cooks very fast. They only need about 3 minutes each side.
- Use freshly grated parmesan cheese for best flavor and texture, but packaged pre-shredded parmesan cheese can be used in a pinch.
- Optional: Add a splash of heavy cream for a cozy creamy finish!
Make Ahead Tips
Make ahead: This garlic shrimp pasta reheats pretty well, so leftovers are always a good idea! It’s also a great idea for meal prep. They will last in the fridge, stored in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave oven.
Prep ahead: You can also prep the ingredients in advance. That way you can make this in just 20 minutes or less! Here’s what I do:
- Season shrimp the day before. Keep in the fridge.
- Prep the veggies. Mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic, and parsley can be sliced and chopped ahead. Refrigerate in separate airtight containers.
- If using freshly grated cheese, grate it up to 3-4 days ahead. You can also use store-bought cheese for convenience.
Pairing and Serving Ideas
This simple garlic shrimp pasta is so good on its own, but also pairs well with many different side dishes, including bread and veggies! These are my favorites:
- Cheesy Garlic Bread – my favorite!
- House Salad
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Roasted Parmesan Asparagus
- Lemon Parmesan Broccoli
Looking for more shrimp recipes? Try my Bang Bang Shrimp Rice Bowls, Honey Walnut Shrimp, or Grilled Shrimp Salad.
Recipe FAQs
Feel free to use any long noodle pasta such as fettuccine, spaghetti, or linguine.
Substitute with chicken or vegetable broth.
I’d recommend using fresh tomatoes like cherry tomatoes or even roma for a more fresh-tasting dish.
Of course! You can always add seared chicken, scallops, salmon, or these Air Fryer Steak Bites.
This post was originally published in 2018 and updated in March 2025 to include new photos, information, and recipe updates.
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Garlic Shrimp Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ pounds fettuccine pasta
- 1 pound extra large shrimp - thawed, peeled and deveined
- Olive oil for the pan
- Salt and pepper
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter - divided
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms - sliced
- 6 cloves fresh garlic - minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes - optional
- ½ cup white wine - or chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup finely chopped Italian parsley - plus more for garnish
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese - to serve
Instructions
- In a pot with generously salted water, cook the fettuccine pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve some pasta water for later. Drain.
- Pat dry shrimp and season with a few drizzles of olive oil, salt (about ½ teaspoon), and ground black pepper.
- In a large deep skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the shrimp on both sides until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter, and saute mushrooms for 2 minutes. Then, add minced garlic and red pepper flakes (if using) for another 1 minute until fragrant. Add white wine and deglaze any brown bits, and simmer until reduced by half.
- Toss in the halved cherry tomatoes and cook for another 1 minute.
- Add the cooked pasta back into the pan, plus pasta water as needed to build a thin sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Return the cooked shrimp, along with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Toss to combine and melt the butter to coat the pasta. Finish with chopped Italian parsley.
- Serve with grated parmesan cheese on top and garnish with more parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
- Don’t forget to reserve some pasta water! I know I often forget.
- Preferably use extra large or jumbo shrimp. They shrink when cooked, so the larger, the better.
- Shrimp takes just 3 minutes to cook per side, so be careful not to overcook. I use medium-high heat to get a nice sear.
- White wine: Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay.
- If you prefer not to use wine, substitute with broth.
- Prep Ahead: Season shrimp (thawed, peeled and deveined). Refrigerate in an airtight container. Prep the rest of the veggies and aromatics, and refrigerate in individual airtight containers before cooking.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave oven until warm.
- Fettuccine: Any long pasta will work great!
- White wine: Chicken or vegetable broth.
- Shrimp: Scallops, salmon, chicken or steak bites.
- Cherry tomatoes: Diced roma tomatoes.
- Add-ins: Spinach, red bell peppers, zucchini, or any veggies you like.
Jack B says
Really good. Really easy. Really fast to make. We substituted spinach for the mushrooms and added a splash of cream. Reserving a cup of pasta water is key. Super easy to make on a week night. Would definitely work for a dinner party, too.
Tania says
Thank you, Jack!
Lyse mondor says
This recipe was delicious. Thank you for it!I think I would use more mushrooms and parsley as well.
Em says
This was an amazing meal and totally easy. I added cherry tomatoes when I added back the shrimp, plus a bit of cornstarch. Cooked on high. It took a bit to cook it down with the tomato juices but was DELIGHTFUL.
Paulet says
Used more mushrooms, parsley, because I had them. Very tasty!! Will make again.
Tania says
Thank you so much!