This Shrimp Pasta is delicious and garlicky with a hint of spice, and crazy easy to make in 20 minutes. It's the perfect restaurant quality meal made in your own kitchen! It's basically like the very popular Italian aglio e olio pasta with the added shrimp...yum!
This Shrimp Pasta is one of those dishes that ticks all the boxes for me….it's cozy, quick and easy to make, packed with flavor and of course delicious too! I'm not a huge seafood eater, but my favorites have always been salmon and also shrimp, aka prawns in Australia and some other countries. I used to only eat them when out, but why when they're so easy to make at home? This dish is ready in 20 minutes so it's great for a quick weeknight dinner, but also elegant enough for a dinner party or a romantic date night at home.
Some of you may have seen that I'm currently pregnant again yay! It's come as a beautiful blessing and surprise, but my iron levels are much lower than they should be. Since I don't eat meat, I've been researching foods to increase my iron - legumes and lentil recipes are up there, but also shrimp, so I've been trying to incorporate them more in my diet. This garlic shrimp pasta combines all my favorite flavors in one pan…garlic, olive oil, chilli and tastes just like the classic spaghetti aglio e olio with the shrimp of course. It's also similar to shrimp scampi without the lemony white wine sauce.
Table of Contents
Recipe Highlights
- Quick & Easy: Simple ingredients and preparation for busy weeknights
- Crazy Delish: Packed with flavors of garlic, lemon, fresh parsley and chili
- Versatile: Serve to a loved one for romantic Valentines Day or a family-friendly dinner, everyone will love it!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Shrimp also known as prawns, are the star today! I personally prefer to buy fresh shrimp when I can and devein/peel myself - or I should say my husband cleans them 😂. You can also buy peeled shrimp for an even quicker preparation or frozen works as well, just ensure to thaw them first and pat dry so they aren't watery or wet
- Pasta, I always love using spaghetti or spaghettini for this dish, however you could technically use any pasta shape as this recipe has a light sauce. Good swaps are other long pastas such as linguine or fettuccine
- Garlic cloves are a key ingredient as its used when cooking the shrimp then added again to the sauce bringing a bold taste. Garlic powder won't do it justice. If you're not a fan of garlic, use a finely chopped shallot instead
- Fresh parsley is a core ingredient in making the sauce and used again for garnish to add extra freshness
- Extra virgin olive oil is the base of the sauce so use the best quality as it will make a difference to the overall flavor. I'm not a fan of butter, but you can also use unsalted butter
- Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest adds brightness and balances the red pepper flakes and garlic perfectly
- Red pepper flakes brings that spicy kick and extra flavor without being too spicy. Feel free to use more or less as you prefer
How to make Shrimp Pasta
Weeknight dinner just got alot more flavorful with this Shrimp Pasta recipe. Here's how to make it with my simple steps below:
Step 1: Finely dice 2 garlic cloves and parsley. Zest and juice half a lemon and ensure shrimp are cleaned and deveined, pat them dry and sprinkle with a good pinch of salt
Step 2: Add olive oil to a large pan with a whole garlic clove and a few parsley stems. Saute over medium-high heat for a few minutes. When garlic is lightly golden brown, remove the clove and stems
Step 3: Place shrimp one at a time (go clockwise, it will make flipping easier). Cook for 2-3 minutes until the sides are pink and opaque halfway up the shrimp. Start to cook the pasta until al dente in a large pot of boiling salted water
Step 4: Flip each shrimp and cook for 1 minute (they will finish cooking with the pasta) then transfer to a plate and set aside for now
Step 5: Use the same pan and reduce to low heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, chopped garlic, parsley and red pepper flakes. Saute for a few minutes and add a tablespoon of olive oil if needed to prevent burning
Step 6: Add the lemon zest and juice along with a good splash of the pasta cooking water. Let it simmer for a minute
Step 7: Add the pasta and shrimp to the pan and increase to medium heat. Toss for ~2 minutes whilst slowly adding pasta water to create a glossy sauce
Step 8: To serve, garnish with chopped parsley and optional extra red pepper flakes and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- If using frozen shrimp, make sure to thaw them first and pat completely dry before salting and cooking so they don't release any water or excess liquid
- Always cook the pasta under the package instructions and let it finish cooking in the sauce for so much extra flavor
- Don't throw out the pasta water! By slowly adding some of the reserved pasta cooking water as you're tossing the pasta, the starch will help it emulsify and become a beautiful glossy sauce without any heavy cream
- Some people like adding cheese like Parmigiano Reggiano / parmesan cheese but I'm not a fan of fresh seafood pasta and cheese together, it's also never added in Italy
Storage Instructions
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days
- Reheat in a pan gently with a splash of water or drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to revive the silkiness. You could enjoy it cold or at room temperature as well
- I personally don't recommended freezing this dish
Serving Suggestions
This Shrimp Pasta pairs well with a simple arugula salad or fresh avocado salad alongside some roasted vegetables or honey glazed carrots.
For a fun menu idea, serve a caprese salad as an appetizer with fresh bread or crostini to scoop up the juices with a cheeky glass of pinot grigio. Then after the shrimp pasta, prepare a quick and easy affogato for dessert to finish the meal. My mouth is watering as I'm typing this!
FAQs
A light sauce to let the shrimp be the hero by using garlic, lemon, parsley and sometimes white wine, similar to shrimp scampi which is super popular. A simple tomato sugo or adding cherry tomatoes would be delicious too
Don't overcook the shrimp, only briefly sear them until opaque then remove from the pan until the very end where you can add them back with the pasta and sauce. By using the same skillet, all the flavors of the shrimp will be left in there too. Leaving the tails on also adds extra flavor
Yes of course! A splash of dry white wine can also be added at the same time the lemon juice and pasta water is added
More Seafood Recipes
More Easy Pasta Recipes
I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to rate the recipe, comment and share your photo on Instagram so I can share the love!
Recipe
Shrimp Pasta
Video
Ingredients
- 11oz / 300g shrimp/prawns - cleaned and deveined (~14 shrimp)
- 5.5oz / 160g spaghetti pasta
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ bunch fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more/less depending how spicy you like it)
- ½ large fresh lemon
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep the ingredients - ensure your shrimp are cleaned and deveined then pat them dry and sprinkle with salt. Finely dice 2 of the garlic cloves along with the fresh parsley leaves. Zest and juice half a large lemon and set aside
- In a large skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil along with the 3rd garlic clove whole and a few parsley stems. Saute over medium-high heat for a few minutes. Once the garlic is lightly golden brown, remove the clove and stems
- Add the shrimp one at a time - I place them down clockwise which will make flipping them easier. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until you can see the sides are pink and opaque halfway up the shrimpWhilst the shrimp are cooking, start to boil the pasta in a large pot of salted water - only until al dente so it finishes cooking with the sauce
- Flip each shrimp and cook the second side only for a minute so that they finish cooking with the pasta - transfer them to a plate and set aside for now
- In the same skillet, reduce to low heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil along with the chopped garlic, parsley and red pepper flakes. Saute the aromatics for a few minutes making sure not to burn them, add the extra tablespoon of olive oil at this time if needed
- Once the garlic is lightly golden, add the lemon zest and juice along with a good splash of the pasta cooking water and let is sizzle and simmer for a minute
- Add the cooked pasta and shrimp back to the skillet and increase to medium heat. Toss with the sauce for about 2 minutes and keep slowly adding pasta water to create a glossy silky sauce while tossingServe up your delicious Shrimp Pasta with a garnish of chopped parsley and optional extra red pepper flakes and enjoy!
Notes
- Pasta - cook pasta under package instructions and let it finish cooking in the sauce for so much extra flavor
- Silky sauce - to achieve a beautiful glossy sauce, ensure to reserve some pasta and slowly add some whilst tossing in those final minutes
- Frozen shrimp - if using, make sure to thaw them first and pat completely dry before salting and cooking so they don't release any water or excess liquid
- Adding cheese - I know that some like to add parmesan cheese, however I personally never mix seafood pasta and cheese. In Italy the custom is not to add cheese, so you'll never see it
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