Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta (Printer View)

Succulent shrimp in a bright lemon garlic butter sauce, perfectly paired with spaghetti. A quick, elegant dinner ready in 30 minutes.

# Components:

→ Seafood

01 - 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

→ Pasta

02 - 12 ounces spaghetti

→ Sauce

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

→ Garnish

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

# Method:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then 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 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side until just pink and opaque. Transfer shrimp 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, about 1 minute.
05 - Add lemon zest, lemon juice, white wine if using, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to reduce slightly.
06 - Return cooked shrimp to the skillet along with any accumulated juices. Toss to coat evenly in the sauce.
07 - Add drained spaghetti to the skillet. Toss thoroughly, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time as needed to achieve a silky sauce consistency.
08 - Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and black pepper as desired. Remove from heat.
09 - Transfer to serving plates. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It delivers restaurant flavor without the wait or the bill, just honest ingredients doing their best work.
  • The lemon and garlic create a sauce so bright it wakes up your palate, even on the dreariest evening.
  • You can have dinner on the table in thirty minutes, which means less stress and more time to actually enjoy eating.
  • Shrimp cooks so fast that overcooking is the only real risk, and once you nail the timing, you'll feel like a kitchen wizard.
02 -
  • Overcooking shrimp turns them into little erasers, so pull them off the heat the moment they turn opaque and curl, they'll finish cooking in the residual heat.
  • Don't skip reserving pasta water, that starchy liquid is the secret to a sauce that coats instead of puddles.
  • If your garlic starts to brown, it'll taste bitter, so keep the heat moderate and stir constantly once it hits the pan.
  • Toss the pasta in the skillet instead of plating separately, it's the only way each strand gets evenly dressed.
03 -
  • Use a microplane to zest the lemon directly over the skillet so those fragrant oils fall right into the butter.
  • If your skillet isn't big enough to toss the pasta comfortably, transfer everything to a large warmed bowl and toss there, it's easier and less messy.
  • Leftovers are rare, but if you have them, reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of broth or water, never the microwave, which turns shrimp rubbery.
  • Serve this with crusty bread to mop up every last drop of sauce, it's too good to waste.
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