Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta (Printable)

Juicy shrimp in zesty lemon garlic butter sauce with perfectly cooked spaghetti. A bright, flavorful meal in just 30 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

→ Pasta

02 - 12 oz spaghetti

→ Sauce

03 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter
04 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
05 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
06 - Zest of 1 lemon
07 - 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
08 - 1/4 cup dry white wine
09 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
10 - 1/2 tsp salt, plus more for pasta water
11 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Garnish

12 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
13 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
14 - Lemon wedges for serving

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, drain pasta, and set aside.
02 - Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt and pepper.
03 - In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook 1-2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Transfer to a plate.
04 - Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining olive oil and butter to the skillet. Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
05 - Add lemon zest, lemon juice, white wine, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly reduced.
06 - Return cooked shrimp to the skillet with any accumulated juices. Toss to coat evenly in sauce.
07 - Add drained spaghetti to the skillet. Toss well, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky sauce coating the pasta.
08 - Adjust seasoning with additional salt and black pepper to taste. Remove from heat, sprinkle with chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like a restaurant splurge but uses pantry staples and comes together in the time it takes to boil pasta.
  • The garlic butter and lemon create a sauce so bright and silky you'll want to soak up every drop with crusty bread.
  • Shrimp cook in minutes, which means you can have this on the table faster than takeout arrives.
  • It's flexible enough to handle whatever herbs or greens you have wilting in the crisper drawer.
02 -
  • Overcooking shrimp turns them rubbery, so pull them off the heat the moment they turn opaque and slightly curled.
  • Don't skip reserving pasta water, it's the only thing that will make your sauce creamy without adding cream.
  • If your garlic starts to brown or smell bitter, start over, burnt garlic will ruin the whole dish.
  • Toss the pasta in the skillet off the heat if the sauce looks too thin, it will thicken as it cools slightly.
03 -
  • Always zest your lemon before you juice it, once it's cut it's nearly impossible to zest neatly.
  • Use a large skillet, not a saucepan, so the pasta has room to toss and the sauce can coat evenly.
  • If you're doubling the recipe, cook the shrimp in two batches so they sear instead of steam.
  • Serve this immediately, it doesn't reheat well because the shrimp toughen and the pasta absorbs all the sauce.
Return