Name: Chili Crisp Garlic Shrimp Pasta
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 8 oz Shrimp (peeled and deveined); 8 oz Pasta: Spaghetti; 2 tbsp Butter (unsalted); 4 cloves Garlic (minced); 1–2 tsp Chili crisp; 1 tbsp Soy Sauce; 1 tsp Fish Sauce; 1/2 tsp Sugar; 1 tsp Salt; 2 to 4 ½ cups Water (Used to cook the noodles. Adjust based on your pasta.); Lime slices; Scallions (sliced)

Chili Crisp Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Spaghetti cooked directly in a chili–garlic butter sauce and finished with tender shrimp, lime, and scallions for a glossy, spicy finish.

5 from 3 votes

Print Rate

Total Time: 15

Servings: 2 servings

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Unit Conversion

Metric conversions are approximate

Equipment

Ingredients

Shrimp & Pasta

8 oz Shrimp peeled and deveined
8 oz Pasta: Spaghetti

Chili Garlic Sauce

2 tbsp Butter unsalted
4 cloves Garlic minced
1–2 tsp Chili crisp
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Fish Sauce
1/2 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
2 to 4 ½ cups Water Used to cook the noodles. Adjust based on your pasta.

To Finish

Lime slices
Scallions sliced

Instructions

Build the Chili Butter

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add butter, garlic, and chili crisp to the pan.
Cook for 15–20 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant.

Cook the Pasta in the Pan

Stir in soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, salt, and 2 to 4½ cups of water, depending on your pasta. (Note: We are not pre-cooking the pasta, but cooking it in the sauce & water. I recommend starting with 2 cups and adding more water as you go until the noodles are fully cooked and the sauce is nicely reduced to your preferred consistency. Every brand of pasta differs on how much water they eventually need and how much starches they release)
Increase heat to high and add the dry spaghetti to the skillet.
Bring to a simmer and cook, turning noodles as they soften.

Reduce and Gloss

Cook, stirring frequently, as the water reduces and forms a glossy sauce.
Once the liquid has reduced by about half, add the shrimp.

Finish

Add lime slices and toss until the shrimp are just cooked through and the sauce looks loose and shiny.
Finish with sliced scallions and additional chili crisp if desired.

Notes

Fish sauce adds depth without making the dish taste fishy.
Cooking the spaghetti in the pan with the sauce will release starches, giving the sauce a natural thickness and gloss.
Adding the shrimp at the end keeps it juicy and prevents it from getting rubbery.
Keep the sauce slightly loose in the pan as it will tighten fast.
Lime is essential here; squeeze lightly before eating.

7 responses to “Chili Garlic Shrimp Pasta”

Mike

February 10, 2026

How can you reduce 4.5 cups of water by half without overcooking the pasta by about 3x?

1. cheffatty
  
  February 13, 2026
  
  In this recipe we are cooking the spaghetti directly in the sauce. With 4.5 cups of water, you’ll find most spaghetti will fully cook while leaving a starchy sauce behind. You can certainly cook your spaghetti separately, but if you do, be sure to add less water to compensate.
  
Ilma

February 14, 2026

Tried it and loved it.
Thank you for the recipe, it was a quick solution for a perfect lunch/dinner.

Hailey

February 17, 2026

If I were to substitute shrimp with beef or pork, should I add it in at the same time as I would shrimp? Or earlier/ cooked separately?

1. cheffatty
  
  February 18, 2026
  
  I would add beef or pork earlier depending on the cut. It usually takes longer to cook than shrimp. One thing you can do is cook it separately until it’s perfectly cooked, then add it back in at the end.
  
Vee Lamy

February 21, 2026

I really enjoy this. Thank you for the recipe.

Izzy

February 25, 2026

Love this dish! I do personally double all the condiments to get some more flavour in there!

Chef Fatty

Chili Garlic Shrimp Pasta