This Easy Creamy Shrimp Linguine with Garlic is a luxurious and quick shrimp pasta dish. With a perfect balance of garlic, tomato sauce, heavy cream, and shrimp, it’s a delicious option for any weeknight meal or special occasion like Valentine’s Day or Christmas dinners. Ready in just 20 minutes, this recipe has become a viral favorite on TikTok!
Full Recipe:
Ingredients
For the Shrimp and Pasta:
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400g large Argentinian shrimp, peeled and dried
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3 tbsp unsalted butter
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4 garlic cloves, minced
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200 ml tomato sauce
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500 ml heavy cream
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Fresh parsley, chopped
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300g linguine pasta
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Salt and black pepper, to taste
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Parmesan cheese (optional), grated
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Fresh basil (optional)
For the Seasoning:
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1 tsp garlic powder
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1 tsp red paprika powder
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1 tsp smoked paprika powder
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1 tsp dried oregano
For the Shrimp Marinade:
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1/2 juice of a lemon
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1 tbsp olive oil
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1 tsp garlic powder
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1 tsp red paprika powder
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1 tsp smoked paprika powder
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1 tsp dried oregano
Directions
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In a bowl, combine the peeled and dried shrimp with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, red paprika powder, smoked paprika powder, and dried oregano. Toss to coat evenly.
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Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until they turn pink and are cooked through. Remove the shrimp and set them aside.
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In the same skillet, melt butter and sauté the minced garlic until golden brown and aromatic.
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Pour in the tomato sauce and heavy cream, stirring to combine. Return the cooked shrimp to the skillet and let everything simmer together over medium heat for about 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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While the sauce simmers, cook the linguine pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the shrimp and sauce along with 1/2 cup of pasta water.
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Toss the pasta and shrimp together until well coated in the sauce. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately. Optional: Garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Nutritional Value
Here’s an approximate breakdown of the Easy Creamy Shrimp Linguine with Garlic per serving (assuming the recipe serves 4):
Shrimp and Linguine (1 serving):
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Calories: 450-550 kcal
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Protein: 30-35 grams
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Carbohydrates: 40-45 grams
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Fat: 25-30 grams
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Fiber: 2-3 grams
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Cholesterol: 150-180 mg
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Sodium: 600-750 mg
Parmesan Cheese (Optional, 1 tbsp):
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Calories: 20-30 kcal
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Fat: 1-2 grams
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Protein: 1-2 grams
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Sodium: 50-70 mg
Olive Oil (Used for sautéing, 1 tbsp):
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Calories: 120 kcal
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Fat: 14 grams
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Sodium: 0 mg
Total per Serving (with Parmesan cheese):
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Calories: 550-650 kcal
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Protein: 31-37 grams
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Carbohydrates: 42-47 grams
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Fat: 26-33 grams
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Fiber: 2-3 grams
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Sodium: 650-800 mg
This creamy shrimp linguine offers a satisfying combination of protein and healthy fats, with a rich, flavorful sauce. The addition of olive oil and Parmesan enhances the dish with extra flavor and calories, while keeping it balanced. Keep in mind that actual nutritional values can vary based on specific ingredients and portion sizes.
The Shrimp: The Star of the Dish
Argentinian shrimp are often chosen for dishes like this due to their large size, sweet flavor, and meaty texture. These shrimp are not only flavorful but also cook quickly, making them ideal for a fast-paced dish like creamy shrimp linguine. The shrimp are marinated in a zesty mixture of lemon juice, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and oregano, which infuses them with a rich, aromatic flavor that enhances the overall taste of the dish.
The shrimp are sautéed just until they turn pink and opaque, ensuring they are perfectly cooked and remain tender. Overcooking shrimp can make them rubbery, so it’s important to cook them for just 1-2 minutes on each side, a technique that helps achieve the ideal texture. After cooking, the shrimp are set aside and returned to the skillet with the creamy sauce, allowing them to absorb the flavors of the sauce while retaining their distinct, delicate sweetness.
The Creamy Sauce: A Perfect Balance of Flavors
The key to this dish’s richness is the creamy sauce made with heavy cream and tomato sauce. The heavy cream creates a smooth, velvety base that pairs wonderfully with the shrimp, adding a luxurious touch to the pasta. Tomato sauce, while lighter than cream alone, provides a slight tanginess that helps balance the richness of the cream, preventing the sauce from being too heavy.
To make the sauce even more flavorful, garlic is sautéed in butter until golden and aromatic, adding depth to the creaminess. The garlic, combined with the tomato and cream, creates a harmonious sauce that coats the shrimp and pasta perfectly. Seasoned with salt, pepper, and a few simple spices, the sauce is both comforting and vibrant, making it the perfect complement to the linguine.
Linguine: The Ideal Pasta for This Dish
Linguine is the ideal pasta for this creamy shrimp dish due to its flat, wide shape, which allows it to hold onto the sauce and shrimp more effectively than round pasta like spaghetti. The long, tender strands of linguine are the perfect vehicle for the rich sauce, ensuring that every bite is packed with flavor.
Linguine cooks quickly and is the perfect complement to the delicate shrimp and creamy sauce. It’s also easy to prepare, making this dish ideal for busy weeknights when you need a delicious and satisfying meal in no time. The pasta is cooked until al dente, providing a slight bite that contrasts nicely with the smooth sauce and tender shrimp.
The Seasoning: Enhancing the Dish with Simple Spices
A blend of garlic powder, smoked paprika, red paprika, and dried oregano is used to season both the shrimp and the sauce. These spices work together to create a well-rounded flavor profile that enhances the shrimp and the creamy sauce. Garlic powder adds depth to the garlic flavor without being overwhelming, while smoked paprika gives the dish a subtle smokiness that complements the richness of the cream. Red paprika adds a mild heat, balancing the flavors, and oregano brings a touch of herbaceousness, tying everything together.
This simple yet flavorful seasoning blend is what makes the dish taste so complex and satisfying. It’s the perfect balance of savory, smoky, and aromatic notes, giving the creamy shrimp linguine an unmistakable Mediterranean flair.
Quick and Easy Preparation: The Beauty of 20-Minute Cooking
One of the standout features of this dish is how quickly it can be prepared. In just 20 minutes, you can have a luxurious, restaurant-quality meal on the table. The shrimp are seasoned and sautéed in a matter of minutes, while the sauce simmers to create a rich, velvety base. Meanwhile, the linguine is cooking, allowing you to combine everything in one pan once the pasta is ready.
The use of a skillet to cook the shrimp and sauce makes cleanup a breeze, as everything can be made in the same pan. Once the shrimp are cooked and set aside, the sauce is created in the same skillet, allowing the flavors of the shrimp to infuse the sauce. The pasta is then tossed in the sauce to soak up all of the delicious flavors, ensuring that every bite is packed with creamy goodness.
Optional Garnishes: Elevating the Dish
To finish off this creamy shrimp linguine, there are a few optional garnishes that can elevate the dish even further. Fresh parsley adds a burst of color and a fresh, herby flavor that brightens up the richness of the sauce. Additionally, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese provides an extra layer of savory, umami flavor that complements the shrimp and cream.
For an even fresher taste, basil can be added as a garnish, bringing a light, aromatic note to balance the richness of the dish. These garnishes are not just for decoration; they enhance the overall flavor and texture of the dish, adding freshness and complexity to each bite.
The Nutritional Profile of Easy Creamy Shrimp Linguine
This Easy Creamy Shrimp Linguine offers a balanced combination of protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates, making it a satisfying and delicious meal. Shrimp provides a significant amount of protein, while heavy cream adds richness and fat. The linguine provides carbohydrates to fuel your energy, and the fresh parsley adds a small amount of fiber.
The dish is relatively high in calories due to the heavy cream and butter, but these ingredients also contribute to the luxurious and satisfying nature of the dish. The optional Parmesan cheese and olive oil add extra flavor and calories, so the total nutritional content can vary depending on your portion sizes and any added garnishes. However, for a special meal or indulgent weeknight dinner, the combination of flavors makes it well worth the calories.
Why You Should Try This Recipe
If you’re looking for a quick, easy, and luxurious dish, Easy Creamy Shrimp Linguine with Garlic is the perfect recipe to try. It’s a dish that combines the best of both worlds: it’s quick enough to prepare on a busy weeknight but flavorful enough to serve on special occasions. The creamy sauce, tender shrimp, and perfectly cooked linguine come together to create a meal that’s both comforting and indulgent. Plus, the dish is highly customizable with optional garnishes like Parmesan and basil, allowing you to tailor it to your taste preferences.
This recipe is also a great way to impress guests with minimal effort. It looks and tastes like something you’d get at a fancy restaurant, but with just a few simple ingredients and 20 minutes of your time, you can enjoy a gourmet meal right at home. Whether you’re cooking for a special occasion or simply treating yourself to something indulgent, Easy Creamy Shrimp Linguine with Garlic is sure to become a new favorite in your recipe repertoire.
Conclusion
Easy Creamy Shrimp Linguine with Garlic is the perfect recipe for anyone who loves rich, flavorful pasta dishes but doesn’t have a lot of time to cook. With its balance of creamy sauce, tender shrimp, and perfectly cooked linguine, this dish is a showstopper that’s both quick and delicious. The seasoning is simple yet impactful, creating a complex flavor profile that enhances the dish without overpowering it. Whether you’re cooking for a weeknight meal or a special occasion, this creamy shrimp linguine will not disappoint.