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.
Lemon garlic shrimp pasta recipe, can I use cooked shrimp?
Hi Margie, you can use already cooked shrimp but hold off until the very end to add them and skip the brining process.
Yummy…. Greater parm or Romano?
My Oh My! This was Delicious. Thanks for this recipe Jim.
Hi Mark, we’re so happy you enjoyed and thank you for the comment!
Wasn’t sure if I was going to like this, as I’ve found lemon can sometimes overpower seafood, but we absolutely loved this. The lemon brought such a bright fresh flavor to the dish, and it was nice having a pasta option that didn’t have the typical tomato base. This will become a staple in our meal rotation when I want to sneak in some shrimp, as hubby isn’t always a fan. Thank you!
Hi Kristine, we’re so happy you enjoyed this one and really appreciate the comment!
I didn’t make this yet (but will) but that’s a great tip about freezing bunches of parsley! I do chop it and freeze it in ice cube trays for use in soups over the winter but I’ve never frozen bunches of it for dishes such as this one, scampi, etc.
Hi Liz, thanks for the comment and hope you enjoy!
This pasta is my go to when I don’t want anything tomato or cream based. The lemon just sings in this, although the garlic does get lost in it a bit. I guess I’ll have to up the garlic in the future. This gets requested quite a lot in my house and it’s so good every time.
Hi Christina, I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe and really appreciate your comment!
Silly thought. I see the tail is on shrimp – do you pick it up and bite – pick up with fork and bite leaving tail?
Hi Joan, you can do either, or you can use your knife and fork to remove the tail.
I realize this is only a 30 minute recipe, but can I cook the shrimp and garlic and set them aside, visit with my guests and come back and finish with the pasta ?
Hi Judy, thanks for the comment. Yes, you can cook the shrimp and garlic first, put them aside, and then add them to the pan to reheat with the pasta when you’re ready to serve.
Sooo good!! Never commented on other recipes but loved this one so much. The lemon taste really stood out and brought the dish to another level.
Hi Janice, we’re so happy to hear you enjoyed the pasta and really appreciate your comment. Thanks!
This was great! The baking soda is a great tip. Thanks Jim!
Hi Edna, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed it!
This is such a delicious recipe with very simple ingredients. I was very surprised at the depth of flavor.
Hi Lisa, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed the pasta!
A keeper for sure!
Hi Marie, thank you for the comment and so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
This was dinner tonight! Simply delicious! I really love all of your recipes BUT this was outstanding.
Hi Janet, wonderful to hear you enjoyed this one and I really appreciate the comment!
Making this a second time tonight. So easy and delicious. I just added a little grated parmesan on top. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Hi Brian, so happy you enjoyed this one and really appreciate the comment!
Scrumptious, and I don’t use this term lightly! I wanted something different from my same old shrimp scampi and this did not disappoint! Something happens to the shrimp when you toss in baking soda, salt and peppers and then fry! A must try!!
Hi Cheryl, so happy you enjoyed this recipe and really appreciate the comment!
This is the absolute BEST shrimp dish ever! Thanks, Jim
Hi Marilyn, so happy you enjoyed it and thanks for the comment!
I made this last night for Valentines dinner. It was delicious! We’ll definitely make this again. I love your YouTube channel!
Hi Lisa, I’m so happy you enjoyed this! Thanks for the comment, and for watching the channel!
I’ve made this at least 5 times and it comes out perfect every time. The measurements of each ingredient are perfect. It needs no adjustment. So delicious!
Hi Alisa, thanks for the comment and so happy you’ve enjoyed this one a few times!
Hi Jim, I made this with white wine and homemade breadcrumbs (likely your recipe as well). I think I made your scampi. Love your stuff! Thank Jim!
Hi Nancy, so happy you enjoyed and thanks for the comment!
Soo good ! 😋
Hi Janette, I’m so happy you enjoyed this one and thanks for the comment!