Description
Homemade creamy lemon garlic shrimp pasta delivers restaurant-quality comfort with Mediterranean coastal flavors. Quick ingredients and simple techniques help create a delightful meal for dinner guests or personal enjoyment.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Starches:
- 8 ounces (226 grams) pasta (linguine, spaghetti, or your choice)
Sauce and Seasoning Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Garnish:
- Fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Boil pasta in salted water for 8-10 minutes until al dente, then drain and reserve a small amount of pasta water.
- Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.
- Sear shrimp in a hot skillet with olive oil for 1-2 minutes per side until they develop a golden exterior and turn opaque.
- Transfer cooked shrimp to a separate plate, keeping them warm.
- Reduce skillet heat to medium-low and melt butter, then gently toast minced garlic for 30-45 seconds until aromatic.
- Pour chicken broth and create a quick pan sauce by adding heavy cream, freshly grated lemon zest, and tangy lemon juice.
- Simmer sauce for 2-3 minutes, allowing liquid to reduce slightly and concentrate flavors.
- Whisk grated Parmesan cheese into the sauce until completely smooth and creamy.
- Reintroduce seared shrimp to the skillet and gently fold into the sauce.
- Add cooked pasta, tossing thoroughly to ensure each strand is evenly coated with the luxurious sauce.
- If sauce seems thick, incorporate reserved pasta water to achieve desired consistency.
- Sprinkle freshly chopped parsley over the dish and serve immediately while hot.
Notes
- Opt for large, tail-on shrimp for maximum flavor and a beautiful presentation that adds visual appeal to the dish.
- Grate fresh Parmesan cheese directly into the sauce for a richer, more intense cheese flavor compared to pre-grated options.
- Control sauce thickness by adjusting cream and broth quantities – less liquid creates a more concentrated, velvety texture perfect for clinging to pasta.
- Make it gluten-free by substituting regular pasta with zucchini noodles or gluten-free pasta alternatives without compromising the creamy, tangy essence of the recipe.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 438 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 510 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 33 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg