Lemon garlic shrimp pasta is the perfect dish to make when you want to make an impression, with minimal effort. Shrimp are gently sauteed and then tossed with al dente pasta, in a buttery, garlicky concoction of parsley, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Whether you’re a shrimp cooking veteran or a beginner, this is the perfect recipe, and the best part is this can be made in about 30 minutes!
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Editor’s Note: Originally Published on January 24, 2019. Updated with full process shots and expanded info.
For the most part, this recipe requires household staples, such as lemon, butter, and garlic.
This combination is great and I use it often with seafood like this lemon garlic scallop pasta and cod piccata.
Shrimp is also a staple in our home since I use it all the time for recipes like shrimp scampi, gambas al ajillo, and shrimp tacos.
Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta is a quick one so it’s great for weeknights but impressive enough for gatherings!
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How to make it
- Place clean and dry shrimp in a bowl with 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper. Mix well and set aside.
- Zest the lemon and give any longer strands a chop. Also, save the lemon juice.
- Chop or slice the garlic.
- Mince the fresh parsley. Also, start boiling the pasta in salted water (2 tablespoons kosher salt per gallon of water) to 1 minute less than al dente. Be sure to reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Heat a large pan to medium heat with a 1/4 of extra virgin olive oil, then add the shrimp.
- Saute the shrimp until cooked through. Roughly 3-4 minutes depending on their size. A good way to cook shrimp is to spread them out and flip them after 2 minutes. Don’t be afraid to cut one open to check if they’re done. They will be opaque and very firm and plump when touched. The objective is to cook the shrimp right to the done point but not overcook them.
- When finished place the shrimp on a plate, tent with foil, and set aside.
- To the same pan add the garlic and saute until nicely golden (about 2-3 minutes). If the pan is dry, feel free to add a touch more oil.
- Reserve 2 cups of pasta water and set aside right before draining the pasta. You won’t need all the pasta water, but it’s good to save just in case.
- Add 1/2 cup of pasta water to the pan and mix with a wooden spoon. Use the spoon to scrape up the good flavor bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Add the pasta into the pan and 4 tablespoons of butter. Coat the pasta well, cooking for about 1 minute longer. If you can flip a pan, do it now to emulsify the pasta water and butter so that it clings to the pasta. Otherwise, coat it as well as you can with a wooden spoon.
- Add the shrimp, parsley, lemon juice and zest to the pasta, mix and toss together. Taste test right now and adjust salt, pepper, and crushed pepper levels before serving. If the pasta is dry add a couple of ounces of pasta water to loosen it up. Serve right away. Enjoy!
Top tips
- Shrimp. Make sure they are completely thawed and that the baking soda trick is used. You will have great shrimp every time!
- Pasta water. With any pasta dish, I recommend reserving some pasta water. In this particular dish, the sauce is actually made from the pasta water and butter combination. The starchy pasta water and butter concoction cling to the pasta and coat it so well during the last minute of cooking. Save the remaining pasta water, and if required, use a few ounces to loosen everything up if you’re not serving immediately. I do however recommend you serve right away.
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Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
For brining the shrimp
- 1 pound (454g) large shrimp 21/25 count
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
Remaining ingredients
- 1/2 pound (227g) spaghetti
- 4 tablespoons (60g) extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic sliced
- 2 cups (480g) reserved pasta water will most likely not need all of it
- 4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter
- 1 large lemon zested and juiced
- 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
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Instructions
For brining the shrimp
- Place the shrimp and remaining brining ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Wait 10 minutes before sauteing.
Completing the dish
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta to 1-minute less than al dente.
- Heat a large pan to medium heat with the olive oil. Once shimmering, add the shrimp and saute for about 3 minutes or until done (when the shrimp are firm and pink). Remove the shrimp to a plate and set aside tented with foil to keep warm.
- Add the garlic to the pan and saute for 2-3 minutes or until lightly golden. If the pan is dry, add a touch more olive oil.
- Add a 1/2 cup of pasta water to the pan. Also, add the butter and the almost-cooked pasta. Cook for 1 minute tossing to coat well so the sauce absorbs and clings to the pasta. Add the shrimp, parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, and toss/mix again.
- Turn off the heat and taste test. Make final adjustments to salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. If the pasta becomes too dry add a couple more ounces of pasta water. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- The recipe easily doubles or triples.
- Always reserve extra pasta water just in case the pasta dries out while sitting and or waiting to serve.
- Salt is kept to a minimum so adjust according to taste.
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave. Though, I recommend eating all the shrimp on the same day. Shrimp doesn’t reheat too well.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on January 24, 2019. It was completely updated on July 13, 2021.
Wonderful! We had it on pasta. Instead of wine I used 3/4 c pasta water, 1 T rice vinegar and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar for flavor. It worked! Other than that, I followed your recipe and it was a huge hit!
I enjoy your methods and live your videos. As a former NYer, you bring back familiar memories and tastes. Thank you!
We’re so happy to hear that, Tuli!
This was one of the best. I go to Sip and Feast for lots of my cooking. Just me and wife, used Fettucini, made great shrimp and sauce and everything came out perfect.
What a great pasta dish.
Thank you Jim. I am a devotee.
So glad you enjoyed, Barry! Thanks for the great comment!
I just made this tonight because I had lemon pasta from Trader Joe’s. It was really good although I would cut back a little on the lemon and add more garlic next time to balance out the lemon in the pasta. Otherwise, very good!
So glad you enjoyed, Pam!
This was delicious! We should have had leftovers but did not since my husband and I ate it all in one sitting! Thank you for the great recipe.
We’re so happy you enjoyed, Carolyn!
Do you rinse off the shrimp after soaking in baking soda
Hi Claudia, no, the shrimp do not get rinsed.
Thank you. We had this for dinner and it was delicious. Love your recipes.
Great easy and flavorful recipe. I’ll definitely be making this one again.
So glad you enjoyed!
Tossing the shrimp with baking soda, prior to pan frying, is a game changer!!! The shrimp develop a slightly crisp skin and are delightful to eat. This recipe is a definite keeper for a light pasta meal!!
So happy you enjoyed, Emily!