Even though this dish sounds fancy, it’s super easy. The key is to let the pasta cook in the sauce for a bit. The lemon infuses into the pasta, and the flavors marry perfectly. I can’t get enough of the lemon flavor, so I like to finish off the dish with freshly squeezed lemon juice.–Maria Provenzano

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta FAQs

Can I substitute zoodles for the pasta in this recipe?

You’re reading our minds. Lemon, garlic, and shrimp are fantastic with pasta, but those flavors also complement zoodles (zucchini noodles) nicely, or other spiralized veggies such as summer or butternut squash. (Would those be squoodles?)

In order to incorporate spiralized veggies into this recipe without overcooking them, you’ll need to skip step 1 completely. Then in step 5, simply add your raw, room temperature zoodles (or squoodles) into the sauce, give the dish a quick stir, for about a minute, and serve. The heat from the pan and the other ingredients will warm up your ‘pasta’ a bit.

Can I use a different shape of pasta?

You bet. Any long noodle will work here, such as spaghetti or fettuccine. Just adjust the pasta cooking time to what is recommended on the box.

How many medium size shrimp are in one pound?

Shrimp sizes are denoted in numbers, such as 21/25. When you go to the seafood market and see numbers like 26/30 or 31/35 on the signage next to the prices, that’s how many you’ll get per pound, on average. For medium shrimp, you’ll get 41/50 shrimp per pound.

What should I serve with this lemon garlic shrimp pasta?

A salad, such as this cornbread salad with arugula and herbs would be great choices to round out this easy pasta meal.

Can I use pre-cooked shrimp?

We don’t recommend it, as the shrimp may become rubbery when heated. Stick to raw shrimp for this recipe.

A pink bowl filled with lemon garlic shrimp pasta with a fork resting inside.

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta

4.63 / 8 votes
This bright lemony pasta includes pan-seared shrimp, noodles, and a buttery garlic sauce. It's an easy weeknight meal that's on the table in just 30 minutes.
David Leite
CourseEntree
CuisineAmerican
Servings4 servings
Calories744 kcal
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes

Ingredients 

  • Salt
  • 1 pound bucatini pasta
  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds medium-size raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons (1 oz) unsalted butter
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons (about the zest from one large lemon) fresh lemon zest , preferably organic
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, divided
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves

Instructions 

  • In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente, according to package directions.
  • Meanwhile, rinse the shrimp then pat dry with paper towel. Lightly sprinkle the shrimp with salt and pepper.
  • In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and warm the oil. Add the shrimp and cook on one side for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the shrimp and cook until almost cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more.
  • Stir in the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for about 30 seconds, being careful not to let the garlic brown or it will taste bitter. Stir in the lemon zest and juice.
  • Use tongs to grab the bucatini out of the pot and transfer it directly into the skillet with the shrimp. Before stirring, pour 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese over the pasta. Toss everything well and allow the pasta to cook in the sauce for a few minutes.
  • Add the fresh parsley and toss to combine. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice, and the remaining Parmesan cheese, to taste. Stir in a few tablespoons of pasta water while mixing everything together.
Everyday Celebrations From Scratch Cookbook

Adapted From

Everyday Celebrations From Scratch

Buy On Amazon

Nutrition

Serving: 1 portionCalories: 744 kcalCarbohydrates: 90 gProtein: 43 gFat: 23 gSaturated Fat: 8 gMonounsaturated Fat: 10 gTrans Fat: 0.2 gCholesterol: 238 mgSodium: 1175 mgFiber: 4 gSugar: 4 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @leitesculinaria or tag #leitesculinaria!
Recipe © 2022 Maria Provenzano. Photo © 2022 Leslie Grow & Bree McCool. All rights reserved.

Recipe Testers’ Reviews

This recipe promises lemony shrimp with bucatini and that’s exactly what you get. In 25 minutes. Bucatini.

A white platter filled with lemon garlic shrimp pasta, garnished with parsley and a lemon wedge and two serving forks resting on the platter.

Don’t get me wrong, I also love spaghetti and capellini. The choice of bucatini for this recipe is almost imperative though. You can’t slurp bucatini as quickly as the other long pasta. Each bite requires a bit of work. The bucatini captures more of the lemony flavour, makes the enjoyment last longer, and makes it a more fun experience. This is useful when you’re trying to eat mindfully and consume smaller portions.

The flavours in this dish are simple. They’re fresh, and complementary, while providing the illusion of richness to the palate. By richness, I mean the creamy texture of the pasta and sauce without the use of cream.

I did use two tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. I feel that I could have reduced this amount to one tablespoon of each fat and then just used a second tablespoon of olive oil to finish the dish. In fact, when I plated, there were a couple of extra tablespoons of fatty sauce in the bottom of the pan that got recycled to a topping.

Where the lemony flavour is concerned, I liked that the lemon juice addition was done in two parts. I served this pasta on a platter with a quarter lemon chunk for each person to drizzle as per taste. For me, the total amount was perfect but my husband enjoyed the option to not add more to his plate. There were oohs and ahhs and even some chewing with eyes closed amongst the five of us.

The shrimp-pasta-cheese ratio was perfect. Served ours with a tomato and caper salad and a mellow Chenin Blanc. This one’s a keeper!

This is one delightful, easy, and quick pasta; one of the best I’ve made in a while. The shrimp are tender, the lemon pops, and the Parmesan and parsley are perfectly balanced. I did use the red pepper flakes, they added just a whisper of heat.

A pasta bowl filled with lemon garlic shrimp pasta an a fork resting inside the pasta.

I had 16/20 shrimp so I cut them in half for better distribution throughout the dish. I might add more garlic next time just because I always do! I love the brightness of fresh parsley added at the end. I added 3/8 cup of pasta water at the end for a lusciously silky sauce.

I did make this again with linguine fini, and it was even better with a lighter noodle! Me being me, I also added a few more cloves of garlic. Whatever pasta you have on hand will be delicious with this lemony sauce.

I love all things lemon, so I knew that I would be making this lemon garlic shrimp pasta recipe the moment I saw it.

I must say, that despite all of the lemon zest, (I used 2 teaspoons), and the 1/2 cup of lemon juice listed in the recipe, although delicious, the pasta was still not “lemony” enough for our taste. I ended up using the zest of another lemon, as well as its juice, to bring it up to something that knocked our proverbial socks off. Our feet, at that point, were indeed bare.

After boiling for 8 minutes, my pasta was al dente. Since it was going to continue to cook a bit in the in pan with the shrimp, lemon zest, and juice, I did transfer it at that time to the other skillet. I am glad that I did, because the pasta in the final dish was just what it should be, tender, but still having that al dente bite.

I added about 3 tablespoons of pasta water to the sauce, even though I questioned if that would be necessary.

Where the pasta water did come in handy, was the next day while heating up leftovers. I learned a long time ago to save some pasta water whenever I make pasta. I just dip a glass Pyrex measuring cup into the pasta pot, capturing boiling water, before taking the pasta out, or draining it. I pour that into a glass jar, and save it as long as I have the leftovers that we may be eating, and I use it as needed.

This lemon garlic shrimp pasta is a quick, simple, and flavorful recipe that can be made on a weeknight but has the luxuriousness of a weekend dish. The dish is rich in bright flavor and comes together in a cinch. Prep everything in advance because once you start cooking, dinner will be on the table quick.

I served this with a simple arugula salad. Next time I would finish it with more lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. Nice on its own. Would also be a good base recipe.

This was a lovely bright dish that was easy to prepare. The flavour of the lemon really shines here and the Parmesan makes a lovely unctuous light “sauce” that coats the pasta. A beautiful, bright summer dish!

This was a good sized serving for 4 people. I resisted the urge to add crumbled feta but maybe next time!

This pasta recipe scores high on both flavor and ease of preparation. The lemon infused pasta and shrimp are delicious and could easily be served as the main course with guests even though it comes together as quickly as a weeknight dish in terms of ingredients and preparation. We just loved the fresh lemon flavor with the sautéed shrimp, pasta, and Parmesan cheese. Each ingredient contributes to a wonderful pasta dish that we will certainly be adding to our regular list of shrimp dish favorites.

The preparation is easy, the only task requiring any effort is cleaning and de-veining the shrimp. I really appreciated the detailed instructions for preparing the shrimp in terms of rinsing and drying, and removing the shell and tail section and cooking time. Everything was specified completely and easy to follow.

We enjoyed this dish with freshly made crusty sourdough bread which worked well to scoop up sauce on the bottom of the serving dish. A wonderful meal.

Lemon garlic shrimp pasta is a delicious recipe to have on hand. I love how easily you can get a satisfying, appealing, and tasty dish on the table in no time.

This dish feels rich and indulgent and was nicely balanced by a side of garlicky Swiss chard.

There are no photos of this pasta dish because there was no time. It vanished. This spectacularly easy pasta is savory and satisfying. I think it would also be a crowd pleaser, which is why it’s going on my list for summer entertaining.

I felt like the amount of lemon juice was perfectly balanced with the heat from the crushed red pepper. The choice of bucatini gives this dish an extra bit of bite. I happened to like that very much.

I may prefer the parsley to be roughly chopped vs whole leaf, but it’s true my parsley from the garden was a bit tough. Use your own judgment based on the herbs at hand.




About David Leite

I count myself lucky to have received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. My work has also appeared in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.


Hungry For More?

Pasta with Butter and Parmesan

Whether you’re five or fifty-five, sometimes nothing is more satiating than a plate of spaghetti with butter and cheese.

20 mins

Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Yes. Soft, pillowy gnocchi bathed in a luxurious blue cheese sauce can be on your table in under 30 minutes. Wonders never cease.

25 mins


Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta
    WOW! This web site continues to be my go to when I’m looking for something to make.
    I had nothing planned for dinner, but there’s always shrimp in the freezer. I had all of the ingredients in the house except for fresh parsley so I just left it out. We had already eaten half of it before I thought to take a picture, so here’s my picture! Simply delicious blend of lemon, garlic and cheese, oh and the hot pepper flakes, they were just right! I think I can do this again from memory. It’s pretty quick! And a PERFECT recipe just as it is.

  2. 5 stars
    So delicious! I made this dish three times in a row. It’s simple & quick to make! The first time I followed the recipe exactly and became my favorite dish. I wanted more spice (pepper) to the overall dish and flavor to the shrimp itself. I like my pasta spicy so I added curry to the shrimp before I cooked it and some black garlic to the pan as it all cooked. I additional added herb garlic seasoning & Trader Joe’s South African smoke. I cut down in the lemon zest (used like 25% of a full lemon) and added a teaspoon more of red pepper! Very spicy and bright dish. Oh and fettuccine works best!

    1. Wonderful, Nicole! A little extra heat is always welcome. We are thrilled that you enjoyed this and it turned out so well.