The fresh citrus in lemon-garlic shrimp pasta makes this quick, simple meal bright and light. It balances the briny taste of the shrimp and mellows the bite of the garlic, all in just a few minutes on the stovetop. Since cooking the shellfish is so straightforward, this is one of our favorite easy shrimp recipes.
For the deepest flavor, you’ll use lemon in three forms: fresh zest, pure juice and dried peel in lemon-pepper seasoning. This shrimp linguine recipe stands out from heavily sauced pasta dishes and takes so little effort to make, it deserves a regular slot in your weeknight dinner rotation.
Ingredients for Lemon-Garlic Shrimp Pasta
- Linguine: This thin, slightly flat, straight pasta is a good choice for a light sauce. The noodles likely originated in an Italian coastal region, so you’ll often find them served with seafood. If you don’t have linguine, try other pasta shapes, such as long strands like capellini (aka angel hair) or fettuccine.
- Olive oil and butter: Cooking shrimp in both olive oil and butter balances the fat and flavor of the dish. Our Test Kitchen’s picks for best olive oil brands and best butter will serve you well in this recipe.
- Shrimp: The shellfish cooks so quickly in this shrimp linguine recipe that you’ll want to throw raw large or jumbo shrimp in the pan. Unless you can get your hands on live crustaceans, buy frozen shell-on shrimp and clean the shrimp yourself for the best texture. Among all the types of shrimp available, you’ll most likely find bags of white or pink shrimp in your grocery store’s frozen food aisle. Shrimp pasta recipes are easiest to eat if you remove the entire shell, including from the tail.
- Garlic: This dish is all about the garlic. If you’re concerned that the flavor will be too sharp, mince the garlic first and put it in the lemon juice. The lemon’s acidity mellows the garlic’s alliinase, the enzyme that gives it a harsh taste. Learn how to peel garlic without getting sticky, stinky fingers.
- Lemon: Lemon is key in this recipe, so it’s worth splurging on a whole fresh lemon rather than reaching for bottled juice. The juice spreads into a bright base layer, and the zest gives little concentrated bursts of citrus notes. One lemon should give you enough zest for this recipe, plus extra juice to squeeze over the dish at the end.
- Seasoning: Lemon pepper is typically created by mashing granulated lemon zest with cracked black peppercorns to blend their flavors. Lemon-pepper seasoning mixes in other ingredients, such as salt, onion, garlic and perhaps even herbs and ground spices. It often has a bold taste.
Directions
Step 1: Cook the pasta
Cook the linguine according to package directions until al dente.
Editor’s Tip: Salting the water with about 3/4 teaspoon sea salt per quart of water will make the pasta taste better. Skip oil in the pasta pot. It will rise to the surface without affecting the pasta. Try this cold water pasta hack for the starchiest pasta water to stir into your sauce at the end.
Step 2: Saute the shrimp
Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, and cook, stirring, for three minutes. Stir in the garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice and lemon-pepper seasoning, and cook until the shrimp turn pink, two to three minutes longer. Stir in the parsley.
Step 3: Finish the sauce
Drain the linguine, reserving 1/3 cup pasta water. Stir enough pasta water into the shrimp mixture to make the dish slightly creamy or achieve your desired consistency. Serve the linguine with the sauce.
Editor’s Tip: Don’t rinse your pasta! The starch helps the sauce adhere to each strand. Add the linguine to the pan, and toss with the sauce before serving to ensure that it happens.
Recipe Variations
- Make it spicy: For a little heat, sprinkle in red pepper flakes with the lemon-pepper seasoning.
- Make it creamy: Add a few tablespoons of cream to give the sauce some oomph. Let it just come to a simmer to avoid overcooking the shrimp.
- Add vegetables: Add some vegetables like diced onions cooked in butter and oil, or toss in asparagus, peas, zucchini or bell pepper at the same time as the shrimp. Fold in halved cherry tomatoes just before serving to keep them firm.
- Make it pop: Brined ingredients like capers and olives will add some zing to this dish. Paprika or saffron will give it color. More fresh minced herbs, like basil, oregano or thyme, bring color and flavor.
- Change the pasta shape: You can make this dish with any pasta in your cupboard, but long shapes often work best with shrimp. For the most luxurious texture, consider choosing fresh pasta vs. dry pasta.
How to Store Lemon-Garlic Shrimp Pasta
Both shellfish and pasta have the best texture when freshly cooked, but shrimp linguine can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to four days. Leftovers are best reheated on the stovetop over medium heat until warm, about two minutes—any longer (or if you use a microwave) will likely make the shrimp tough. When reheating, add a tablespoon of water if the pasta sticks to the pan or clumps together.
Lemon-Garlic Shrimp Pasta Tips
How do you know when shrimp are cooked?
Raw shrimp change from translucent to opaque as they cook and start to curl into a C shape when they’re done. Stirring helps them cook evenly on both sides and through the thickest part of the body. They will keep cooking when you add the hot pasta water and noodles to the pan, so combine all of the ingredients in shrimp pasta recipes quickly and serve immediately.
What can you serve with lemon-garlic shrimp pasta?
This shrimp linguine recipe is so fast that you’ll want quick and easy side dishes to go with it. Try something zesty to complement the pasta’s light, lemony sauce, like cucumbers with dill or sauteed carrots. Fresh and fast salad recipes like balsamic green bean salad, pina colada fruit salad or blueberry romaine salad go well. Offer fresh crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
