Butter and Garlic Shrimp Penne

At our house, shrimp is one of our favorites. But to be honest, I've never cooked it before. Either my husband cooks it or I order it in a restaurant. I've been trying to branch out with my cooking so I thought I'd give shrimp a try. I found this recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe and I thought it looked so good. With butter and garlic, how can you go wrong? We all loved it! I actually cooked the shrimp perfectly which is great for my first try!

Printable Recipe

Butter and Garlic Shrimp Penne
1 1/2 lbs medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
5 garlic cloves, minced
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb penne pasta
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup clam juice
1/2 cup fresh parsley or 1 Tbsp dried
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Toss shrimp with 2 tsp of the minced garlic, 1 Tbsp of the olive oil, and 1/4 tsp salt. Let stand for 20 minutes at room temperature.

Heat remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add smashed garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until light and golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, take out garlic, leaving oil in the pan. Discard garlic.

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and return pasta to pot.

Increase heat in skillet to medium. Add shrimp and marinade and place in a single layer. Cook without stirring until oil starts to gently bubble, about 1-2 minutes. Stir shrimp and continue to cook until cooked through, about 1-2 minutes. Do not overcook. Transfer shrimp to a bowl.

Add remaining garlic and red pepper to skillet and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add flour and cook and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in chicken broth and cook for 1-2 minutes, until smooth. Whisk in clam juice and parsley and cook until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter and lemon juice. Add shrimp and sauce to pasta. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

Recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe