Description
This creamy lemon shrimp pasta is a bright and flavorful dish featuring tender shrimp sautéed in olive oil and garlic, tossed with linguine in a luscious sauce made from heavy cream, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and parmesan cheese. It’s a quick and elegant meal perfect for weeknight dinners or entertaining guests.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 12 oz. dry linguine
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Shrimp
- 1 lb. large shrimp (or extra large), peeled and deveined
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season shrimp
Sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
- 4 Tbsp butter, cut into 1-Tbsp pieces
- 1 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese (about 2.5 oz)
- 2 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Garnish
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot with about 4 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add linguine and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta thoroughly.
- Heat Olive Oil: While the pasta cooks, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Season Shrimp: Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the shrimp to the skillet in a single layer, making sure not to overcrowd.
- Cook Shrimp: Let the shrimp cook undisturbed for 1 to 2 minutes until the bottoms turn pink. Add the minced garlic to the skillet, flip the shrimp over, and cook until they are opaque and cooked through, about another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Keep Shrimp Warm: Remove the shrimp from the skillet and transfer them to a sheet of foil. Wrap loosely to keep warm while you prepare the sauce.
- Prepare Sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. Heat over medium until the cream comes to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer until the cream has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.
- Add Butter: Whisk in the butter pieces until fully melted and incorporated into the sauce.
- Add Cheese and Season: Remove the saucepan from heat and vigorously stir in the shredded parmesan until melted and smooth. Season the sauce with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Toss Pasta and Shrimp: Return the drained linguine to the skillet used for the shrimp. Pour in the creamy lemon sauce and fresh lemon juice, tossing to coat the pasta evenly. Thin the sauce with reserved pasta water as needed to reach desired consistency. Gently fold in the cooked shrimp.
- Serve: Serve the pasta warm, garnished with chopped fresh parsley if desired for a fresh herbal touch.
Notes
- You can substitute large shrimp with extra-large or jumbo shrimps depending on preference.
- To make this dish lighter, use half-and-half or whole milk instead of heavy cream, but the sauce will be less rich.
- If you like extra heat, increase the amount of red pepper flakes or add freshly ground black pepper.
- Reserve pasta water is key for adjusting sauce consistency without diluting flavor.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute linguine with gluten-free pasta.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/5th of recipe)
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 180 mg
