Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta with Blistered Cherry Tomatoes

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This Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta recipe is a 30-minute meal that’s simple enough for busy weeknights yet succulent enough to serve dinner guests.

Tender shrimp, blistered cherry tomatoes, crisp asparagus, fresh basil and a rich garlic butter sauce atop a bed of perfectly cooked linguine makes this recipe one of those meals you’ll want to put on replay.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Explosion of flavors aside, here are a few of the reasons I think you and your family will love this recipe.

• It’s quick and easy to make. With just a handful of ingredients and minimal prep time, this recipe comes together in a flash.
• This recipe is absolutely delicious. The combination of garlic and butter, plump shrimp, the natural sweetness of blistered cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and the asparagus create a symphony of flavors in just half an hour.
• It’s versatile. Get creative with your pasta and vegetables. Try bowtie pasta with garlic butter shrimp, roasted red peppers and asparagus or swap out the asparagus for mushrooms. The possibilities are truly endless.

Ingredients + Substitutions

This list of ingredients is short and sweet, kind of like the mere 30 minutes it takes to make this meal. Here’s what you’ll need to make Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta.

• Peeled and deveined shrimp—I used fresh shrimp from our local meat market but feel free to use frozen shrimp, just thaw it before cooking.
• Linguine pasta—Angel hair is also delightful in this recipe. Use your pasta of choice.
• Cherry tomatoes—These little gems are literally bursting with flavor.
• Asparagus—Not big on asparagus? Zucchini or mushrooms are great swaps for this recipe.
• Fresh basil—Fresh herbs really bring this dish to life, but you can certainly use dried basil if that’s what you have on hand.
• Butter—Compared to many garlic butter recipes, this shrimp pasta calls for a modest amount of butter. Use margarine or your butter of choice.
• Extra-virgin olive oil—This heart-healthy fat adds a lusciousness to this recipe that allows us to use less butter than most garlic butter pasta recipes.
• Salt and pepper—Adjust according to your dietary needs and taste preferences

Serving Suggestions

This Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta recipe pairs beautifully with a crisp green salad served with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette or a Caesar side salad with Rustic Homemade Croutons. For a simple dessert, try the Summer Berry Salad. Having guests for dinner? this Rustic Blueberry Galette is as beautiful as it is delicious and the pastry dough can be made in advance to reduce your prep time.

Make Ahead + Storage

This recipe is best enjoyed immediately upon cooking, however the tomatoes, asparagus and garlic can be washed, cut and minced, respectively, in advance to shave a few minutes off of your prep time.

In the rare event that you have leftovers, transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Any longer than that and your pasta will lose its freshness. To reheat, gently warm the pasta in a skillet over low heat, adding a splash of water or broth to prevent it from drying out.

Note that a little separate of the extra-virgin olive oil and butter is natural. The fat will harden when cold, but a few minutes of reheating will fix that.

Garlic Butter Shrimp Linguine with Blistered Cherry Tomatoes

Cortney Sparkman

Tender shrimp, blistered cherry tomatoes, crisp asparagus, fresh basil and a rich garlic butter sauce atop a bed of perfectly cooked linguine in less than 30 minutes? Yes, please! 

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Servings 4 servings

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Equipment

• Staub Cast Iron Skillet
• Colander Set
• Stoneware Pasta Plates

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 8 ounces linguine pasta
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 bunch asparagus trimmed and cut into 2-3 inch pieces
• 4 cloves of garlic finely minced
• 4 tablespoons or 2 ounces of butter
• 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
• 10-15 sprigs fresh basil
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 10-15 sprigs fresh basil
• Crushed red pepper flakes optional

Cook Mode

Instructions

 

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the linguine according to the package instructions until al dente, usually 11-13 minutes. 
• Meanwhile, prepare the remaining ingredients. Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Trim the ends of the asparagus and cut them into 2-3 inch pieces. Wash and dry the cherry tomatoes and finely mince the garlic. 
• Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the extra-virgin olive oil. Add the tomatoes and sauté for about 2-3 minutes. Add the asparagus and sauté for 2 minutes more. Push the asparagus and tomatoes to the sides of the pan and make room for the shrimp. The tomatoes and asparagus will still be cooking. If you like your asparagus extra crunchy, you can remove them from the pan at this point and set aside.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan and add the shrimp. Cook for 1-2 minutes per side, until pink and opaque. Add the minutes garlic and sauté among the shrimp for about 30-45 seconds. We want the garlic to be fragrant, but not over cooked. Turn off the stove and remove the skillet from the heat. 
• By this time the pasta should have finished cooking al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 2 tablespoons of pasta water. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil as well as the cooked pasta and pasta water to the pan and toss everything to combine. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper according to your preferences. 
• Add the fresh basil and crushed red pepper flakes (optional). Divide among four plates and enjoy immediately.

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