Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil, then add spaghetti and cook until just under al dente—about eight minutes for most brands. I start tasting at seven minutes because I want the pasta to finish cooking slightly in the residual heat when I toss it with the sauce. This matters because overcooked pasta becomes mushy when you combine it with hot butter, which nobody wants in beautiful summer shrimp pasta.

While water heats, peel and devein your shrimp if they aren't already prepped, then pat them completely dry with paper towels. Moisture is the enemy when you're searing shrimp, so don't skip this step no matter how tempting it seems. Dry shrimp actually caramelize instead of steaming, which builds flavor that wet shrimp absolutely cannot achieve.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add one tablespoon of olive oil and one tablespoon of butter together. Let the butter foam subside—this takes about thirty seconds—then the moment it stops foaming, add your shrimp in a single layer. Leave them alone for exactly two minutes without touching them, because the beautiful summer shrimp pasta depends on that undisturbed sear creating a golden exterior.

Flip the shrimp and cook the second side for ninety seconds only, then immediately transfer everything to a clean plate. I learned this the hard way by overcooking shrimp so often that I now set a timer on my phone because I can't trust myself to eyeball timing. Shrimp continues cooking with residual heat even after you remove it from the pan.

Add the remaining butter and olive oil to the same skillet, then add minced garlic and red pepper flakes together. Cook for exactly one minute—you want the garlic fragrant but not brown, since brown garlic tastes bitter and ruins elegant seafood pasta completely. This is your moment to smell what's happening; if you smell anything scorched, lower your heat immediately.

Return the shrimp to the skillet, then add the lemon juice and zest and stir everything together for one minute. Drain your pasta and add it directly to the skillet, tossing everything until the pasta coats evenly with the buttery sauce. The beautiful summer shrimp pasta should look glossy at this point, not wet or swimming in liquid.

Taste and adjust seasoning with the salt and black pepper, keeping in mind that Parmesan will add saltiness at the finish. Divide pasta among four bowls, then top each portion with halved cherry tomatoes and fresh parsley and grated Parmesan.