Lemon Shrimp Pasta

Lemon Shrimp Pasta is an easy, delicious dinner for any evening. Flavorful shrimp cook with garlic and a shallot, then are tossed in a decadent lemon wine sauce. Served with linguini, this addictive seafood entree pairs well with a glass of wine and a crusty piece of bread! Makes 4 servings, but can easily be doubled.

Love shrimp? Then you don’t want to miss Grilled Shrimp Skewers, Shrimp and Grits, Shrimp Spinach Artichoke Dip and Blackened Shrimp Tacos!

2025 Update: This recipe was originally shared in September 2015. The recipe and post include new photos, as well as more tips and tricks. I hope you love this pasta recipe as much as we do!

Real talk: I used to complain about shrimp a LOT because I hated the smell (so obviously, I hated the taste and texture.)

Then I attended college in Louisiana and learned that shrimp can be quite delicious.

And by quite delicious, I mean good in everything.

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I initially developed this shrimp and lemon pasta recipe back in 2015. I wanted to make a pasta sauce that emulated the super garlicky one at local restaurant that I craved during my first pregnancy.

Fast forward ten years and THIS is the most-requested dinner recipe in our household. It might be our kids’ favorite recipe of mine, period.

Why I love this recipe:

I think the thing about this lemon and shrimp pasta recipe that has us all in a chokehold is that the flavors are perfectly balanced.

The shrimp is perfectly cooked and paired with a LOT of garlic and a creamy lemon sauce that’s tart, yet creamy enough.

This dish comes together in a large skillet, too, and works for a special meal (like an at-home date night or an anniversary dinner) or simply a weeknight dinner because it does not take a ton of time to put together.

In fact, this is the most-requested birthday dinner and back-to-school celebratory meal in our household.

Another thing I adore is that this dish is actually quite simple. You can also prep parts of this dish in advance to make it even easier on you when cooking. (More on this in a bit.)

Other delicious dinner recipes with pasta: Penne Arrabbiata / Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese / Beef Taco Pasta Salad / Lemon Salmon Pasta / Chicken and Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese / Chicken Pesto Pasta

What you need to make this recipe:

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• Saucepan
• Citrus juicer or citrus reamer
• Zester
• Liquid measuring cup
• Large pot (or pasta pot) and colander

Here is what you need to get from the grocery store:

• Linguine — or another thin noodle, like fettuccine, spaghetti or angel hair pasta. You could also use a shorter noodle if you’re feeding kids, which makes the eating process a little less messy.
• Extra virgin olive oil — or another neutral oil
• Garlic cloves — there are no substitues for these. You need a lot and the flavor of the garlic that you mince in your own kitchen is more potent. I recommend that.
• Shallot — you need one of these, too. You can use yellow or white onion in place of shallot, but I really like how mild a shallot is compared to an onion.
• Shrimp — we like Gulf shrimp the best! (Hello, we did live in Louisiana for years. This should not be a surprise.)
• Salt-free Cajun seasoning — because this adds layers of flavor. If you don’t have this on hand, blackening seasoning would work, too. You could also use homemade Creole seasoningHomemade Creole Seasoning. Just keep an eye on the salt added because you do not want your meal to get too salty.
• Kosher salt — medium grain kosher salt is my go-to. (Diamond Crystal is my favorite brand.) A similarly sized sea salt also works.
• Dry white wine — pinot grigio or a sauvignon blanc would be ideal here. Moscato is way too sweet, and chardonnay’s oakiness could take away from the sauce. Also, anything you’d drink is great, and I tend to pour some into my pan and then pour a glass for myself.
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice — squeeze it yourself from room-temp lemons or get the cold pressed lemon juice from your grocery on the refrigerated shelves. It makes a difference. Promise. I recommend getting the cold pressed juice from the store to speed up the process, as squeezing the lemons and peeling the shrimp take the longest.
• Lemon zest — this gives even more lemony pop to the sauce. I do not recommend skipping it!
• Parsley — dried or fresh parsley work here. Both add brightness to the sauce.
• Red pepper flakes — for a little bit of a kick. We rarely add this to our shrimp pasta these days simply because it makes things “too spicy” for our kids.
• Unsalted butter — this adds creaminess to the final pasta dish. I do not recommend skipping it, as it adds both flavor and texture to the sauce.

Substitutions:

Make it gluten free. You could use a gluten-free pasta or even zucchini noodles if you prefer those.

Swap out the protein. Another seafood would be a nice swap. I haven’t tried this with chicken, but I suspect the sauce would pair nicely with it, too.

Throw in more veggies. Baby spinach and fresh tomatoes would make a colorful and delicious addition in this sauce, if you’re looking to add more veggies to this easy weeknight dinner.

How to make this Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta recipe

Cook the pasta according to the package instructions in salted, boiling water.

Drain and set it aside. It is important for it to be done before the sauce is done, and if I am not up for multitasking in the kitchen, I cook it beforehand and let it cool in the sink (after reserving some of the pasta water to help bind the sauce to the pasta.)

Chop the veggies, and set them aside, too.

Peel the shrimp

My shrimp peeling technique involves running my thumb down the belly of the shrimp from where the head used to be to the tail (which is still attached), and gently freeing the shell.

Basically, you want to loosen the shell from the meat and dispose of it. 🙂

Use a pair of kitchen shears to gently score the exterior of the meat and loosen, then pull out the vein.

Place the peels in a plastic bag, and when you’re done peeling the shrimp, immediately take this outside and toss it into the trash can because it will stink up your kitchen.

Unless, of course, you’re planning to use it for a seafood stock. In which case keep the shrimp peels in a zip-top baggie, and throw them in the freezer until you’re ready to make the stock.

Cook the aromatics and shrimp

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.

As the oil heats, season the shrimp with salt-free Cajun seasoning and salt. If your Cajun seasoning has salt, please skip the additional salt to prevent this from becoming too salty.

When the olive oil is warm, add the minced garlic and shallot, and cook until soft. This will only take 1-2 minutes. (And please keep your eyes on them because if your garlic burns, you’re gonna have to start over. Burned garlic is the worst!)

When the shallot and garlic are soft, add the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp begin to curl and are pink on the bottom side, then flip, cooking until no longer translucent.

This entire process will take 3-4 minutes tops.

Remove the shrimp from the pan when cooked through, and set aside.

Make the Lemon Wine Sauce

Deglaze the pan with the wine, then let the wine reduce by half. Simply bring it to a boil until it cooks down so that the alcohol cooks out of it.

Next, add the lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley and red pepper flakes.

Measure in the butter, and let it melt completely.

Add the shrimp back to the pan, and toss to coat.

Use tongs to lift the cooked pasta into the pan. Drizzle with ¼-½ cup of the pasta’s cooking liquid. Toss the ingredients together.

Serve warm with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, a glass of wine and a slice of crusty bread.

How to store:

Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Reheat gently in the microwave until warmed through.

Quick Tips and Tricks to make this Shrimp Pasta Dish

• Acceptable substitutions: If you don’t have a shallot, you can use a small onion. It will be more potent in the sauce, but it is still delicious. If you don’t drink wine, add veggie or seafood stock in the wine’s place.
• Don’t cook the shrimp for too long. When your shrimp starts to curl, flip it because it only needs a few minutes on each side to cook through! If it cooks for too long, it’ll become rubbery.
• Save the pasta water! This helps the ingredients all come together in the pan, so when you drain your pasta, save about a cup of it!

More lemony pasta recipes:

• Lemon Salmon Pasta
• Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
• Fresh Tomato and Lemon Pasta
• Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Now who’s ready to make this delicious Lemon Shrimp Pasta?