Description
This Creamy Lemon Shrimp Pasta recipe features tender linguine tossed in a luscious lemon-infused cream sauce with perfectly cooked shrimp. The dish balances the richness of heavy cream and parmesan with bright lemon zest and juice, accented by a touch of red pepper flakes for gentle heat. Easy to prepare, it’s an elegant yet approachable meal perfect for weeknight dinners or special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 12 oz. dry linguine
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Shrimp
- 1 lb. large shrimp (or extra large), peeled and deveined
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
Sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or 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 fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot with about 4 quarts of water to a boil. Salt the water generously and cook the linguine until al dente, following the package directions. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water and then drain the pasta.
- Prepare Shrimp: While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Place shrimp in the skillet in a single layer.
- Cook Shrimp: Cook shrimp without moving until pink on the bottom, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add minced garlic, then turn the shrimp over and cook until shrimp is opaque and cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Keep Shrimp Warm: Transfer cooked shrimp to a sheet of foil and loosely wrap to keep warm while you prepare the sauce.
- Make Lemon Cream Sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine heavy cream, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low and let it simmer until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes.
- Add Butter and Cheese: Whisk in the butter pieces until melted. Remove the saucepan from heat, then stir in the shredded parmesan cheese until melted and smooth. Season the sauce with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Toss Pasta with Sauce: Using the same skillet used for shrimp, toss the drained linguine with the cream sauce and fresh lemon juice. Add reserved pasta water a little at a time to thin the sauce as needed to your desired consistency.
- Add Shrimp and Serve: Gently toss the cooked shrimp into the pasta and sauce mixture. Serve the pasta warm, garnished with chopped fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
- For best flavor, use fresh lemon zest and juice rather than bottled.
- You can substitute heavy cream with half-and-half for a lighter sauce, but the texture will be less creamy.
- Be careful not to overcook shrimp as they can become tough and rubbery.
- Reserve pasta water to adjust sauce consistency and help sauce cling to the pasta.
- Parmesan cheese should be freshly grated for best melting and flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 540 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 220 mg
