This White Wine Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta is buttery, garlicky, and full of flavor. Juicy shrimp (or prawns) and sweet cherry tomatoes are tossed through a silky white wine butter sauce with a hint of lemon and fresh parsley. It’s quick enough for weeknights yet elegant enough to feel like something you’d order at a restaurant.
Hi! I tested this recipe a few different ways and ended up using my reader favorite White Wine Butter Pasta Sauce as the base and amped it up with a touch of tomato and pan-fried shrimp. It’s full of flavor yet delicate enough to let the shrimp shine, resulting in a light, bright, and elegant pasta dish.
In Italy, there’s a hard and fast rule: no cheese with seafood! So I’ve stripped away the Parmesan cheese, but you honestly won’t miss it. The white wine, butter and tomato paste emulsify into the silkiest restaurant worthy sauce.
I’ve used dried spaghetti here, but any pasta shape will work beautifully. If you really want to make it special, try it with my Homemade Pasta Dough. It will turn this simple dish into something extra luxurious.
Ingredients
Raw shrimp (prawns) - Peeled and deveined. Fresh will always give a little more flavor, but frozen is totally fine for convenience, just thaw completely, rinse, and pat dry before cooking. I like to leave the tails on for extra flavor and a bit of presentation flair, but remove them if you prefer.
Garlic - Fresh garlic cloves are best, jarred garlic has a potent flavor.
Tomato paste - This adds wonderful color and a depth of flavor. Tomato paste benefits from being cooked off for a minute to deepen and caramelize the flavor.
White wine - It doesn't need to be anything fancy, it's only ½ cup. I use a Sauvignon Blanc but a Pinot Grigio would work.
Cherry tomatoes - I make a small cut in each one and gently squeeze out the seeds so the sauce doesn’t become watery. This keeps the texture light and glossy.
Butter - Cold from the fridge and divided into four equal cubes so it can be added one piece at a time. Similar to a Beurre Blanc style sauce.
Lemon - The wine gives acidity, but fresh lemon juice adds brightness and zing. I also use the lemon zest to finish the dish for a fresh pop of flavor.
Flat leaf parsley - Optional but highly recommended. It adds freshness and vibrant color to the finished dish.
How to make it
Here is how it comes together. The full ingredient list and video are in the recipe card below!
ONE: In a tablespoon of olive oil, pan-fry the shrimp (prawns) on a medium - high heat for one minute each side, until just cooked through. Set aside. Use a large skillet, big enough to hold pasta at the end.
TWO: Lower to a medium heat. In the same pan add the garlic, followed by the tomato paste, letting it cook off for a minute.
THREE: Add the white wine and cherry tomatoes and let it gently simmer for 2 minutes.
FOUR: Add the cold butter, one piece at a time, whisking or swirling until each cube melts before adding the next
FIVE: Add ¼ cup pasta water and the lemon juice before adding cooked pasta and tossing well. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
SIX: Add the chopped parsley and the prawns to quickly warm through before serving.
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Expert tips
Here are a few of my best tips to make sure your shrimp pasta turns out perfectly every time plus how to get the best results with a stainless steel pan.
- Pan-frying the shrimp - make sure your pan has been heating up for 2 - 3 minutes and then fry them for only 1 min each side in a single layer so they don't overcook.
- Undercook your pasta by a minute from package instructions so it can finish cooking IN the sauce and take on some flavor while still being al dente.
- Always reserve a cup of pasta water before draining. Starchy pasta water is our best friend as it helps to thicken sauces and helps it cling to the pasta.
- Use cold butter from the fridge. This sauce is based on a beurre blanc and cold butter emulsifies in much better.
Why I love stainless steel pans
Stainless steel pans are fantastic for cooking seafood and meat in as the heat conducts really evenly and it will leave behind some residue which creates flavor. Here are some tips.
- Make sure you give it some time to preheat. The way I test this is by throwing some droplets of water into the pan. If they sizzle and evaporate it's not ready. If the droplets dance around the pan whole, it's good to go!
- Leave the protein alone! Once it's in the pan it needs to form a crust on the bottom to release off the bottom.
- Using a light dusting of flour on the meat can help to form a golden crust.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Frozen shrimp work perfectly, just make sure you thaw them completely, rinse, and pat them very dry before cooking. Any excess moisture can stop them from searing properly.
Use a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. Avoid sweet or heavily oaked wines, as they can overpower the flavor. If you don’t cook with wine, you can replace it with stock plus an extra ½ tablespoon of lemon juice.
This will not re-heat very well unfortunately, as the texture of the sauce will change! You can store in the fridge in an airtight container for 2 days but it is definitely best fresh. That is why I write most of my recipes in two person portions. Easy to double.
More recipes to try
If you loved this garlic butter shrimp pasta then check out my entire pasta recipe collection! Here are a few suggestions to get you started.
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Recipe
White Wine Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta
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Ingredients
Pasta
- 200 grams dried pasta or 300 grams fresh
For the shrimp/prawns
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 200 grams raw shrimp/prawns peeled and deveined, see notes
For the sauce
- 3 cloves garlic finely diced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ cup white wine
- 150 grams cherry tomatoes see notes
- 70 grams butter cold from fridge, cut into four equal pieces
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice plus the zest to serve
- ½ cup packed flat leaf parsley finely chopped (should have 2 tablespoons)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil your pasta in well salted boiling water, see notes below for the perfect ratio of salt to water! Reserve a cup of water before draining.
- Heat the olive oil in a large fry pan over medium - high heat. Pat the shrimp dry and season lightly with salt and pepper right before frying.
- Sear for 1 minute each side until just cooked through. Set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and in the same pan add ½ tablespoon olive oil and then the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds - 1 minute.
- Stir in the tomato paste as best you can and let it cook for a minute.
- Pour in the wine, scrap the brown bits up from the bottom of the pan and then add the cherry tomatoes. Let it gently bubble for 2 minutes.
- When adding the butter next, the wine should be at the most gentle simmer so turn heat down if you need.
- Add the butter one piece at a time, whisking it in gently and letting it completely melt before adding the next. It will thicken and a glossy emulsified sauce will emerge.
- Add ¼ cup pasta water and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and mix in well. Let it simmer for 1 minute.
- Add the cooked pasta and toss well, let it gently bubble away for 1 - 2 minutes to thicken up slightly. Check for seasoning.
- Toss the finely chopped flat leaf parsley, followed by the prawns to warm through.
- Serve with lemon zest on top and a drizzle of olive oil if you wish.
- See the video below!
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