Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Name: Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: ½ lb pasta (linguine, spaghetti or fettuccine); 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; ½ lb shrimp, peeled and deveined (leave bottom of tale, if desired); 4 tbsp butter, sliced, divided; 2-3 cloves garlic; 1-2 pinches of hot red pepper flakes; ¼ cup dry white wine; Zest of one lemon (about 1 tsp); 2 tbsp lemon juice; ¼ cup loosely packed parsley, finely chopped chopped

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Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta is a great 30 minute meal, perfect for a weeknight dinner. I like to use both white wine and lemon juice to brighten up this buttery, rich pasta dish.

Overhead view of a plate of lemon garlic shrimp pasta next to glasses of wine on a white plaster surface.

Are you familiar with the classic Italian-American Shrimp Scampi? Well this pasta dish is essentially shrimp scampi with a bit of lemon juice.

This Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta is easy enough for beginner cooks to master and only takes a half hour to whip up. Whether it’s family dinner or date night, this pasta fits the occasion.

Ingredient Notes

Shrimp- I like to peel and devein the shrimp while keeping the tails intact. Buy them pre-cleaned to save some time.
Pasta– I use dried pasta for this dish. Spaghetti, linguine and fettuccine all work well.
White wine– I suggest you get something you’d like to drink, but I wouldn’t waste an expensive wine for cooking. Honestly, there are times I use the “cooking wines” from the grocery store, and I think they’re fine if you’d like to save some money.
Lemon– I like to use both the zest and the juice for maximum flavor pay off.
Butter– You could use all extra virgin olive oil and skip the butter for a healthier dish. It will be more oily than creamy, but it will still be delicious.

Individual ingredients needed for recipe, including shrimp, spaghetti, garlic, wine and butter.

Step by Step Instructions

First, season and sear the shrimp (1). Then, add butter, red pepper flakes and garlic to the pan (2).

Next, add white wine and reduce it by half (3). Once the pasta is cooked until just short of al dente, add that to the pan along with a little pasta water and more butter.

After the sauce comes together, add lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley and the cooked shrimp (4). Allow the shrimp to warm through, and dig in!

Steps to make shrimp pasta: sear shrimp, saute garlic and red pepper, add wine, add shrimp, pasta and lemon

Angled view of a plate of shrimp pasta with wine glasses and another plate in the background on a white plaster surface.

Recipe Tips and FAQs

Don’t overcook the shrimp- When you first saute the shrimp, undercook it slightly so it doesn’t become overcooked when you reheat it later.
Cook out wine properly- I make sure to reduce the wine by half after adding it to the pan. If you’re unsure of yourself, it’s better to reduce the wine further than to under-do it and have a raw wine flavor in the sauce.
Finish with Butter- For a glossy, creamy finish to the pasta make sure to add butter at the end and continuously stir until it emulsifies into the sauce.
Make this recipe your own- If there’s an ingredient you don’t like, such as red pepper, herbs, lemon or wine, simply leave it out. You can also just omit the wine and use a little more lemon to taste, or vice versa. Try basil, mint or a little thyme instead of parsley. Try meyer lemon zest or fresh chilies instead of dried. The world is your pickle.

What can I use as a substitute for white wine?

You can use fish stock or chicken stock. You can also just omit the wine and use a little more lemon juice at the end, to taste.

How do you add cooked shrimp to pasta?

Sear them in a pan until just cooked through or very slightly undercooked. Later, after you toss the pasta in the sauce, add back shrimp and warm through.

Overhead view of two plates of spaghetti with shrimp next to glasses of wine on a white plaster surface.

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