Easy Shrimp Pasta
from kristineskitchenblog.comThis shrimp pasta recipe is easy yet elegant! With lemon, garlic and Parmesan cheese, it's full of delicious flavor. I love to make this recipe with long, wide pasta noodles such as fettuccine, but it will work with any pasta shape you enjoy. Serve it with a salad or roasted asparagus, plus bread if you're feeding hearty appetites.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 432kcal
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fettuccine pasta or your favorite pasta shape
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined, tails removed
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 3 cloves garlic minced*
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese* plus more for serving
- zest of 1 medium lemon juice optional
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes more or less, to taste
- chopped fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water (you will not use the full cup, but I find it easy to just scoop out one measuring cup's worth). Drain pasta; do not rinse.
- Meanwhile, pat shrimp dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted and the pan is hot, add the shrimp to the pan in a single layer. Cook for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Transfer shrimp to a clean plate and cover to keep warm.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and minced garlic to the skillet. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the cooked pasta and a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water. Toss to combine. Remove pan from the heat.
- Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, red pepper flakes and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, to taste, evenly over the pasta. If you'd like the dish to have more lemon flavor, you can also squeeze in a bit of the juice from the lemon. (I usually do!) Toss to combine.
- Add the cooked shrimp and toss to mix it into the pasta. Garnish with more Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley and serve.
Video
Notes
- To thaw frozen shrimp: Place shrimp in a colander set over a bowl and thaw for 24 hours in the refrigerator, OR to thaw shrimp quickly, place the frozen shrimp in a bowl of cold water for 10-20 minutes, until thawed. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Garlic: If you really love garlic, you can add an extra clove or two.
- Parmesan: I highly recommend buying a block of fresh Parmesan and grating it yourself for this recipe. Freshly grated Parmesan will melt into the dish so much better than pre-grated from the store.
Nutrition
Calories: 432kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 214mg | Sodium: 856mg | Potassium: 290mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 531IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 235mg | Iron: 1mg
