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Published on by Jamie Silva
Light, fresh, and delicious lemon garlic shrimp pasta. This shrimp pasta recipe is made with shrimp, lemon, shallots, garlic, basil, and spaghetti. An easy 20-minute dinner!
If you’re looking for a light and fresh shrimp pasta recipe, this is for you!
Its lemony flavor along with the butter, garlic, and shallot make this dish the perfect weeknight meal. You can use any thin pasta or skip the pasta and, enjoy this lemon garlic shrimp over white rice. Either way, this dish is ready in just 20-minutes!
Here’s how you can bring it to life in your kitchen.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Ingredients You’ll Need- Thin pasta. You can use spaghetti, capellini, linguine, or angel hair.
- Unsalted butter.I recommend you use unsalted butter as it gives you complete control over the flavor of a recipe.
- Minced shallots + garlic. You can use onions, instead, if you prefer.
- Large shrimp. Shelled, peeled, and deveined shrimp is best for this recipe.
- Fresh lemon juice + zest. You can get 1/3 cup of juice from 4 lemons.
- Chopped fresh basil and lemon slices as garnish.
How To Cook Shrimp
It’s always a good idea to buy large shrimp that is shelled, peeled, and deveined. The shrimp does not have to have the tails on, this is totally up to you. For this recipe, either frozen or fresh shrimp will work. Although, if you are using frozen shrimp, you want to make sure to bring it to room temperature before you start cooking.
When you’re cooking the shrimp, you want to make sure all your ingredients are prepped beforehand. This way you avoid overcooking the shrimp. If you cook the shrimp longer than 4 minutes, you may end up with a tough, rubbery texture which is no good.
How To Make Easy Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta
How To Make Easy Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta- Prep ingredients. Make sure all your ingredients are prepped and ready to go. This reduces your chance of overcooking the shrimp.
- Make the pasta. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain then return the pasta back to the pot. Add a drizzle of olive oil on top to keep the pasta from sticking together. Set aside.
- Cook the aromatics. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 1 minute then add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Cook the shrimp. Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes until pink. Careful not to overcook the shrimp! Remove the skillet from heat.
- Add the lemon juice. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper to the skillet over the cooked shrimp. Taste and adjust salt/pepper to your liking.
- Combine everything together. Toss in the cooked pasta until well combined. Garnish with basil.
You may also like:
- Shrimp Ceviche Stuffed Avocados
- Shrimp in Garlic Sauce (Camarones Al Ajillo)
- Basil Chimichurri Shrimp Skewers
- Low Carb Shrimp Scampi Spaghetti Squash
- 15-Minute Shrimp in Garlic Sauce (Camarones Al Ajillo)
Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta (20-Minute Meal!)
4.06 from 37 votes
By: Jamie Silva
Light, fresh, and delicious lemon garlic shrimp pasta. This shrimp pasta recipe is made with shrimp, lemon, shallots, garlic, basil, and spaghetti. An easy 20-minute dinner!
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Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
- 8 ounces thin pasta (spaghetti, capellini, linguine, angel hair)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup minced shallots
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb large shrimp shelled, peeled, and deveined
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (~4 lemons)
- Zest from the lemons
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Roughly chopped fresh basil and lemon slices as garnish
Instructions
Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain then return the pasta back to the pot. Add a drizzle of olive oil on top to keep the pasta from sticking together. Set aside.
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 1 minute then add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes until pink. Careful not to overcook the shrimp! Remove the skillet from heat.
Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper to the skillet over the cooked shrimp. Taste and adjust salt/pepper to your liking.
Toss in the cooked pasta until well combined. Garnish with basil. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Serving: 1 servingCalories: 337 kcalCarbohydrates: 30 gProtein: 29 gFat: 11 gSaturated Fat: 6 gCholesterol: 308 mgSodium: 884 mgPotassium: 178 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 2 gVitamin A: 262 IUVitamin C: 13 mgCalcium: 181 mgIron: 4 mg
Did You Make This?I want to know! below or tag @asassyspoon on social media!
Originally posted in March 2017. Updated in March 2021.
JAMIE SILVA
Miami native, first-generation Cuban-American, and the founder, recipe developer, and food photographer behind A Sassy Spoon. Since 2016, Jamie has been developing recipes inspired by her rich Cuban heritage and Latin-inspired recipes influenced by her hometown of Miami.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Kat Bartlett says
Tried tonight and def will do again! Easy-peasy to make… we aren’t huge pasta eaters so it’s a nice change compared to the basic tomato sauces.
This has good flavor but only downfall is not enough juice.
I made tenderloins also for a nice surf-and-turf meal.Reply
Casey says
Usually make pastas with sauces, but wanted to try a little healthier option. This was pretty great, just a bit too much lemon flavor. So will add less next time. Definitely one to add to a list of recipes to keep making though!Reply
Laurie says
Ive tried a few and this is the best so far! Quick and easy…Reply
Jamie Silva says
Great to hear!
Reply
Nida says
I love this simple shrimp dish I was looking for one and this came in the perfect timing. I’m actually gonna do it right now! Thanx Jamie!Reply
Jamie Silva says
So happy to hear that, Nida. Hope you LOVE it! :)
Reply
Joyce says
This is such a light and simple pasta dish! I love the flavours of the lemon for the zing and of course the awesome garlic for the flavour. Definitely on my weekend list of quick dinners!Reply
Jamie Silva says
You and your hubby will LOVE it! :)
Reply
Erica says
Unlike you, I LOVE pasta! And shrimp (any seafood) and garlic are right up there, too. Your recipe for shrimp pasta looks amazing, sounds delicious and is so easy! Can;t wait to try it, pinning for later!Reply
Jamie Silva says
This is def one of my faves! Hope it becomes one of yours!
Reply
