Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled
• 12 oz linguine or penne
• 5 tbsp butter
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley or basil
• Salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Get the pasta into well-salted boiling water first, and reserve a full cup of the cooking water before you drain it.

2. 2

   Pat the shrimp completely dry, season them, and sear them in a wide pan for barely a minute a side until just pink, then pull them out.

3. 3

   Lower the heat and cook the garlic in the butter until it turns pale gold and fragrant, watching closely so it never browns and turns bitter.

4. 4

   Add the chili flakes, lemon zest and juice, and a splash of pasta water, swirling until the butter emulsifies into a glossy sauce.

5. 5

   Toss in the drained pasta and shrimp, loosen with more pasta water as needed, and finish with a heap of herbs and cracked pepper.