Lemon Pasta with Shrimp in 30 Minutes

This Lemon Pasta with Shrimp is out of this world.  The lemon shines through, the capers and garlic give it extra oomph and the butter makes it rich and silky. Seriously good!

The trick to this dish is timing. Pop the shrimp into the oven when you put the pasta in to boil. Make the sauce while the pasta is boiling, then turn off the heat, drain the pasta and toss everything together. It’s that simple.  Once you’ve made this lemon pasta with shrimp recipe once, making it again (and again) becomes a snap.

My sister Mindy begs me to make this dish every time I have a family dinner. And I’ve served it many times to friends with big raves.

By the way, the roasted shrimp, a la Ina Garten, can be made on their own as an appetizer served with cocktail sauce or added to any other dish for that matter.

Other than the tips, shortcuts and variations below, there’s not much more that can be said.  This dish is delicious, fast and looks beautiful. Give it a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Tips

• Have all the ingredients prepped ahead of time so that everything is on hand to pull together in the last 8-10 minutes.
• You can saute the shrimp instead of roasting them, but I much prefer the roasting method. It’s more hands-off, you avoid the fry smell and the shrimp always come out perfectly plump and juicy in 6-7 minutes.
• How to tell when shrimp is cooked: Don’t overcook the shrimp or they will turn rubbery! When the end of the thicker part of the shrimp (opposite the tail) turns opaque, the shrimp is done. The inside should just lose its translucence, but not be totally white. The outside will turn bright pink unless they are white pacific shrimp.

Shortcut for Lemon Pasta With Shrimp

• Buy shrimp already peeled and de-veined.

Tailor To Your Taste

• Substitute the shrimp with chicken.
• Use smaller shrimp and cook for a minute or two less.
• Leave out the shrimp and add roasted or sauteed vegetables for a vegetarian version.
• Adjust the amount of garlic, lemon and capers to your liking.

Here are some vegetarian pasta recipes to check out

• fresh vegetable pasta
• Mediterranean pasta
• stuffed pasta shells with spinach
• fresh tomato pasta with lemon and olives
• tomato spinach pasta
• easy gnocci recipe au gratin

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4.92 from 12 votes

Lemon Shrimp Pasta in 30 Minutes

This Lemon Pasta with Shrimp is out of this world.  The lemon shines through, the capers and garlic give it extra oomph and the butter makes it rich and silky. Seriously good!

Prep Time18 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time28 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 5

1x2x3x

Author: Cheryl

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (16-21 per pound)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon each, salt and pepper
• 3/4 pound spaghettinni or angel hair pasta (375 g/12 ounces)

Sauce

• 4 tablespoon unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
• 1 large lemon - the juice and the zest
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated (frozen cubes ok too)
• 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (optional)
• 4 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped (optional)
• 2 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400F. Have all ingredients ready to go. 
• ROAST SHRIMP: Pat shrimp dry and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Lay them in a single layer on a foil-lined pan. Roast for 6-8 minutes until pink and barely no longer translucent. Don't overcook.
• COOK PASTA: Boil pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving one cup of the pasta liquid for the sauce.
• MAKE LEMON SAUCE: While pasta is boiling, heat butter in a large pan on medium-low. Add all the other sauce ingredients except parsley (including spinach and tomatoes if using). Mix well for 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat.
• ASSEMBLE: Add the hot pasta to the sauce and toss together. Add less than 1/2 cup of reserved pasta liquid to make a smooth consistency (use more if needed). Add roasted shrimp with juice in pan. Sprinkle on parsley. Toss together, adjust seasonings if needed and serve immediately.

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Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Lemon Shrimp Pasta in 30 Minutes

Amount Per Serving (5 g)

Calories 617 Calories from Fat 189

% Daily Value*

Fat 21g32%

Saturated Fat 7g44%

Cholesterol 481mg160%

Sodium 1999mg87%

Potassium 631mg18%

Carbohydrates 57g19%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 48g96%

Vitamin A 3327IU67%

Vitamin C 48mg58%

Calcium 328mg33%

Iron 6mg33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This Lemon Pasta with Shrimp recipe was originally published on Two Kooks in The Kitchen in April 2016.