Shrimp lemon pasta dish (Printable)
Tender shrimp paired with lemon and garlic in a flavorful pasta sauce.
# What You'll Need:
→ Seafood
01 - 14 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined
→ Pasta
02 - 12 oz spaghetti or linguine
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
03 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
05 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
06 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
07 - Zest of 1 lemon
08 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
09 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
→ Dairy
10 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
11 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
→ Pantry
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# How to Make It:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain.
02 - Pat shrimp dry and season evenly with salt and pepper.
03 - Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook for 1–2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, add the remaining olive oil, shallot, and garlic. Cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in crushed red pepper flakes and lemon zest briefly.
05 - Return shrimp to the skillet. Add lemon juice and butter, stirring until butter melts and ingredients meld.
06 - Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat evenly. Incorporate reserved pasta water as necessary to achieve a smooth, silky sauce.
07 - Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.
08 - Plate immediately, garnishing with extra Parmesan and parsley if desired.
# Expert Hacks:
01 -
- It comes together in just thirty minutes, making it your secret weapon for weeknight dinners that taste like you've been cooking all day
- The bright lemon and garlicky sauce is so silky and luxurious that everyone assumes you learned to cook in Italy, not from a weeknight necessity
- It's elegant enough for date night but simple enough that you'll actually make it again and again
02 -
- Save that pasta water before you drain—it's liquid gold for creating an emulsion. The starch in it helps the sauce cling to the pasta instead of sliding off. I learned this the hard way after years of wondering why restaurant pasta looked different than mine
- Shrimp cook incredibly fast, and they keep cooking from residual heat even after you remove them from the pan. The moment they're pink and opaque, they're done. Overcooked shrimp become rubbery and sad, and no amount of lemon can fix that
- Don't skip drying the shrimp. Wet shrimp will steam instead of sear, and you'll lose that golden crust that makes people close their eyes when they eat it
03 -
- Make your mise en place—have everything chopped, measured, and ready before you start cooking. Shrimp pasta moves fast, and there's no moment to pause and figure out where the lemon zester is
- The emulsion is everything. If your sauce looks broken or separated, add a splash of pasta water and swirl the pan off heat for a few seconds. The starch and the fat will come back together like they were never apart