Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta

We absolutely love quick and easy meals like this lemon garlic shrimp pasta in our house. Who doesn't love creating an easy super delicious meal in under 30 minutes? The sauce is made in the same pan the rest of the ingredients are cooked in; the only thing you need to do separately is boil some pasta until it is perfectly cooked and throw everything together! 

You’ll want to get your bib on for this pasta dish; a creamy buttery and glossy sauce coats the golden strands of pasta with plenty of garlic and lemon to really elevate you into pasta heaven. If you are after all kinds of satisfaction definitely check out our Gochujang Noodles with Salmon.

We enjoy pasta, especially packed with flavour, so make sure to check out this Nduja Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower, Tomato Spinach Pasta or this Chicken Pasta Bake with Feta and Peas which are both to die for! 

When you’ve made this simple lemon garlic shrimp pasta make sure to leave us a comment and give the recipe a rating down below! Be sure to use the following links to get to where you need to in this post.

Here's some reasons you will absolutely want to make this pasta dish:

Under 30 minutes - from start to finish, this shrimp pasta dish takes little time to create. With the kettle on and pan on the stove you'll be enjoying this dish in under 30 minutes.

Creamy - this lemon garlic shrimp pasta is made creamy by emulsifying butter into a lovely sauce rather than coating in a heavy cream. Absolutely delicious.

Lemon crumb - this is optional but we highly recommend the lemon pangrattato which is a quick and simple crispy lemon crumb to make for the top of this pasta, giving it a lovely crunch.

One pot sauce - all of the ingredients for the dish can be made in one pot, just cook the pasta in boiling water separately and add in to the lemon garlic shrimp butter sauce.

Pasta - You’ll need dried tagliatelle pasta for this recipe; if you can’t find tagliatelle, pappardelle or linguine will work fine.

Veggies - we used fine green beans and frozen peas, but you can substitute for what's seasonal at the time; asparagus goes amazingly well when it’s in season.

Aromatics - we want this to taste amazing, right? Make sure you have a large shallot, some garlic cloves, chilli flakes and of course the all important lemon! We will be using both the zest and juice.

Protein - Shrimp/prawns go so well in this, we like to use jumbo tail on shrimp, but if you want to change up the protein, chicken will substitute just fine.

Fats - We use two fats in this dish, olive oil to cook the main ingredients and lovely creamy butter to create that silky lemon garlic butter sauce.

Pangrattato - You’ll need a little olive oil, panko breadcrumbs, lemon zest, salt and pepper to create the golden crowning crumbs that adorn the top of this insanely tasty dish. 

We're obviously biased as we think this creamy buttery lemon garlic shrimp pasta dish is perfect as is! But, if you feel like changing it up a bit, here are some recommendations:

Change up the veg! - We recommend using asparagus, shelled broad beans, edamame (soya) beans, tenderstem broccoli, spinach or kale. Basically any green veg you fancy! Stick to the quantities listed as it makes a nicely balanced dish. 

Change up the protein - Shrimp is brilliant in this dish, but you could also use other lean proteins such as chicken breast, squid or even other shellfish such as clams. If you are vegan, try out some tofu or chickpeas.

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over a medium heat, then toss in the panko breadcrumbs until fully coated. Continue to cook for 3-5 minutes until they turn golden brown, stirring often otherwise they will burn.
2. Take the pan off the heat and add the lemon zest, salt and pepper. Stir the aromatics throughout the crumbs and pour into a bowl and set aside.

3. Heat a medium skillet over a medium heat, add the olive oil and shallots and saute for 2-4 minutes until softened. Next, add the garlic slices and saute for another minute.
4. Add the shrimp to the pan and saute until they are pink and cooked through (at this stage make sure to add your chilli flakes), about 2-4 minutes.
5. Add the frozen peas to the skillet and stir around.
6. Add the butter, stir until melted. Then add the lemon juice and zest along with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Stir together and that is the basis of the sauce.

Preparation - the best tip for speed is to make sure your pan of salted boiling water is on the stove first, prepare the ingredients for the sauce and start by quickly toasting your lemon breadcrumbs.

Pasta water - reserve some pasta water, this starchy addition aids in creating a glossy emulsified creamy buttery sauce. It also helps rehydrate the pasta as it absorbs so much after draining.

Beans - add your halved beans into the pan of pasta water half way through the cooking time, saving you both time and a pan to wash. Our pasta took 9 minutes and we cooked the beans for the last 4 minutes in the same water.

Crumb - the lemon breadcrumbs can be prepared ahead of time and stored in an air tight container for up to a week.

Shrimp size - We recommend large tail on shrimp, size 31-40, but you can use whatever you like.

Cooking shrimp - avoid cooking the shrimp for too long, you want them pink but still juicy, the cooking time will depend on the size of your shrimp.

Unsure what to have with your lemon shrimp garlic pasta? Here are some suggestions:

Green salad - a lovely fresh green salad is a great partner to this dish, adding another portion of veggies.

Garlic bread - want to go mega on the garlic? We love garlic, so why not serve with crusty garlic bread to get your garlic fix! You may need a breath mint after but what's that between friends, ey?

Refreshing drink - enjoy served with a glass of sparkling wine or your favourite non alcoholic drink for a lunch.