White Wine Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta
A buttery, garlicky shrimp pasta with white wine, cherry tomatoes, and lemon. Light, flavorful, and ready in under 30 minutes.
Servings: 2 people
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!
Video
Notes
Shrimp (or prawns) - I used thawed frozen shrimp but the flavor will be much better if you use fresh. I like the tails still on to add some flavor, use whatever you like! If using frozen make sure to rinse and pat them dry before frying.
Cherry tomatoes - My trick for cherry tomatoes in a pasta sauce it to make a little cut in each one and squeeze out the seeds. Makes a less watery sauce. Just do it in your kitchen sink as they can go everywhere!
Water and salt for pasta - You don't need as much water as you think to boil pasta. For 200 grams of pasta (2 people) I use 1.5L water and 1 tablespoon salt.
Emulsifying - Sounds complicated but all that word means is different liquids mixing together. The way the cold butter is gradually added makes a really thick glossy sauce. It's based on the French Beurre Blanc sauce.
Add some chilli - If you like a touch of spice you could add some chilli flakes (red pepper flakes) with the garlic. I would start with ¼ - ½ teaspoon depending on your preference.
Timing - Once you get the hang of the recipe you can time it so your pasta is ready at the right moment to add it straight into sauce. If it's ready a touch early then reserve the cup of water, drain then toss with a knob of butter to stop it sticking and overcooking.