Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta is a quick and easy weeknight dinner, ready in under 20 minutes. It is simple, flavorful with a hint of spice and is made without wine!
The combination of garlic with butter is magical. Some of favorites include Garlic Shrimp and Rice, Mushroom Fried Rice, Garlic butter Ramen Noodles or Grilled Cheese Sandwich.
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Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta
An amazing combination of lemon garlic butter sauce tossed with sautéed shrimp and cooked noodles. It is ready in under 20 minutes and made with simple pantry ingredients. It is packed with so much flavor from lots of garlic, lemon juice, parmesan cheese and a hint of spice from red pepper flakes. Basically all of my favorite things in one - Lemon, butter, garlic, parmesan…. so yum!
A quick and easy pasta dish for weeknight dinner! My favorite part of this recipe is that it is made with no wine, making it perfect for kids to enjoy! There's something about this combination that always works like this Creamy Lemon Chicken Penne.
We love to enjoy shrimp scampi any time to dine at an Italian restaurant. It’s a simple dish made with a handful of flavorful ingredients that work wonderfully together. It is usually made with shrimp, olive oil, butter, lots of fresh garlic, seasonings, white wine and lemon juice and then served with linguine.
This homemade recipe takes all those flavors without wine and then tossed with cooked noodles to make a quick dinner on the table in a matter of minutes. So, you know this is going to be good.
Why this recipe works?
- Quick and Easy: This is an effortless meal that requires no planning and can be ready in about 30 minutes.
- Delicious: Don’t let the simplicity of this recipe fool you! It is full of flavor.
- Family friendly: It is made without wine making it perfect for kids and adults to enjoy.
- Customizable: This easy recipe can be customized in many different ways. Add spices, herbs, different proteins and experiment with other types of cheese (mozzarella will be tasty too).
What kind of pasta to use?
We used Cellentani Spiral noodles, however this lemon butter sauce is delicious paied with any other shape like penne, linguini, fettuccini, bow tie, spaghetti, fusilli or ziti.
How to quickly defrost shrimp?
Place them in a large bowl and fill it with cold or room temperature water. Let it sit for about 10 minutes until thawed (the time will depend on the quantity used). Drain prawns and pat dry with paper towels.
How to clean and devein?
We usually buy frozen shrimp from Costco that is peeled and deveined with or without tails attached. If you buy them with veins then it can be very easily cleaned at home.
The dark line you see on the backs of shrimp is their digestive tract and removing them is a matter of preference. There are shrimp cleaners available in the market or online that does makes the job easier when dealing with large amounts of seafood.
We just like to use regular pairing knife with ease. Hold the peeled prawn in one hand and make a shallow slit along the center of the shrimp along the back. Lift out the black stringy looking part with the tip of your knife until there’s no vein visible. Rinse all deveined ones in water after.
Key ingredients
- Shrimp – We used peeled and deveined frozen prawns.
- Chicken Stock – We used 33% reduced sodium stock. If you are using no sodium or regular sodium stock, then adjust salt accordingly.
- Pasta – We used Cellantani spirals, but you can use any kind of noodle that you have on hand.
- Seasonings – Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes (the spice pairs very well the buttery sauce).
- Lemon – Freshly squeezed lemon juice and not the bottled kind.
- Garlic – Use freshly chopped garlic cloves.
- Cheese – Use freshly grated parmesan cheese if possible.
- Butter - We used unsalted butter. Reduce salt if using salted butter.
Pro tips for success
- Be sure to cook your prawns in a single layer so it gets a golden brown. If you overcrowd the pan, it might steam instead. It’s best to work in batches if your pan is not large enough to fit everything at once.
- Be careful not to overcook seafood or it can become rubbery. It should just become opaque and pinkish.
- Salt - Salt depends on the use of chicken stock or pasta water. Adjust based on your taste.
- Use your favorite noodle shape instead of Cellantani.
- Always saute garlic in low heat.
- If you prefer not to use prawn, you can use any other protein. Chicken would be another great option.
- Make sure to defrost and pat dry shrimp before searing.
- Chicken stock – We used 33% reduced sodium stock. If you are using regular or no sodium stock then adjust salt accordingly.
- Add about ¼ cup heavy cream along with stock for a creamier texture.
- Cook the pasta until just al dente.
- Don’t forget to reserve some of the pasta cooking water, it’s quite starchy and great for loosening up the sauce.
What can I add to the pasta?
- Make it creamy - Add some heavy cream (¼ to ½ cup) along with stock for a creamier pasta.
- Broccoli – Blanched for couple of minutes along with pasta or sautéed in olive oil before proceeding with the recipe.
- Spinach – Add baby spinach leaves when sauce is almost done simmering, and stir to wilt.
- Zucchini – Saute diced zucchini in olive oil, until partially cooked. Transfer to another bowl and continue with the recipe. Toss it back into the simmering garlic sauce.
- Add asparagus – Cut trimmed asparagus into 1-inch pieces and saute along with garlic in the recipe.
- Use diced boneless skinless chicken thighs instead.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yes! Cooked shrimp is commonly available in all grocery stores. Sometimes, it makes a quick addition to the basic pasta recipe when you want dinner in a pinch.
The simple velvety sauce is made by sautéing garlic in butter and then tossing it with the pasta and some of chicken stock or pasta cooking water. The liquid blends with the flavorful butter and helps in bringing the dish together.
More Pasta recipes for dinner:
- Creamy Chicken Mushroom Pasta without cream
- Penne Alla Vodka with Chicken
- Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake without Cream Soup
- Spicy Chicken Pasta
- Butter Chicken Pasta
- Ramen Alfredo Noodles
Succulent butter and garlic infused shrimp sizzling in a flavorful sauce, tossed with perfectly cooked noodles.
How to make?
It involves 3 simple steps-
Cook pasta – Cook your favorite noodles until a touch softer than al dente, drain.
Cook shrimp, aromatics – Cook seafood in some butter, until half cooked and transfer to a seperate dish. Saute minced garlic and red pepper flakes in more butter until pale golden and not any longer.
Finish – Stir in chicken stock or pasta water and/or heavy cream, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Cook, until thickened slightly and then stir in cooked noodles, prawns, parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Serve hot.
How long will these keep?
This dish is best served hot! If you have leftovers, then store for 2-3 days in your fridge, in a sealed container.
Can this be reheated?
It's the best the first day it's made, it can also be refrigerated and warmed through. Microwaving at a lower power is the best method to reheat this dish.
Can this be frozen?
Yes! Freeze in sealed containers or zip lock bags for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and heat on the stovetop with a splash of stock over low heat or warmed through.
What to serve along with this recipe?
We love to serve this for dinner with Air fryer garlic bread, Roasted Broccoli or Crispy Asparagus Fries. Other favorites include:
It’s a classic dish of tender plump shrimp coated in a zesty, buttery garlic sauce, and so easy to fall in love with.
More Dinner Ideas with Shrimp and Pasta to try-
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Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounce pasta cooked **
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup pasta water or chicken stock
- ¼ cup heavy cream optional
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 3 to 4 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
- 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to manufactures instructions in a large pot of salted boiling water and reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water (if not using chicken stock).
- Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium high heat, add shrimp in a single layer, season with some salt and pepper. Cook until stirring occasionally, until it is opaque pink (2 to 3 minutes). Transfer shrimp into a seperate dish.
- Add remaining butter into the same pan, saute garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until it begins to get pale golden.
- Add chicken stock or pasta water, heavy cream (if using - it gives a creamy texture), Italian seasoning, remaining salt and ground pepper. Let cook for 1 to 2 minutes or the liquid has reduced in half. Stir in cooked pasta, shrimp along with any accumulated juices, parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Serve!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third party calculations, should be considered estimates and not be construed as a guarantee. Varying factors such as product types, brands purchased, produce, the way ingredients are processed and more change the nutritional information in any recipe.
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