Creamy lemon garlic shrimp pasta

Name: Creamy lemon garlic shrimp pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 500 g/1lb tagliatelle (or pasta of your choice); 3 tbsp butter; 500 g/1lb shrimp/prawns (deveined and shelled); 4 garlic cloves (crushed); 1 cup/250ml cream; 2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice; handful fresh parsley (finely chopped); salt (to taste); pepper (to taste)

March 23, 2021 by Alida Ryder 31 Comments

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Creamy lemon garlic shrimp pasta is so easy but such a showstopper recipe. The sauce and pasta cooks at the same time for minimum effort. Just delicious!

Ingredients

Full recipe + amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Shrimp / Prawns. Peeled and deveined. If using frozen, thaw overnight and pat dry with paper towels before cooking.
Butter.
Fresh garlic.
Cream. Heavy/whipping.
Lemon juice.
Fresh parsley.
Salt and pepper.
Pasta of your choice. I prefer long shapes for this recipe. Linguine, Spaghetti, Tagliatelle, Fettuccini or Pappardelle will all work.

How to make shrimp pasta

Start the sauce: Get a large pot of salted water boiling while you start the sauce. Melt the butter in a large skillet/frying pan then add the shrimp in batches until golden brown and opaque. I used frozen, deveined shrimp for this recipe and just removed the shells before cooking but you could use shelled shrimp as well. Try to buy the very best shrimp you can afford because the difference is notable. You want sweet, juicy, plump shrimp or prawns that won’t be rubbery once cooked.
Cook the pasta and finish the sauce: Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Once the shrimp are cooked, remove them from the pan and set aside. Add a little more butter (or olive oil) to the pan and fry the garlic for a few seconds before adding the cream, lemon juice and parsley. You can also add a half teaspoon of chilli or red pepper flakes for some heat. Simmer until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add the cooked shrimp back in.
Combine and serve: Mix with the cooked, drained pasta and a little of the pasta cooking water to emulsify the sauce. Serve with Parmesan and parsley.

What is the difference between prawns and shrimp?

Living in South Africa, we’ve always called this specific type of crustacean, “prawns” (as do many people around the world). Shrimp to us are teeny tiny prawns that are used most often in frozen seafood mixes. However, shrimp or jumbo shrimp as they are called in the US and what we call prawns are pretty much exactly the same thing. So when you see an American recipe using shrimp, they are using prawns (usually Tiger/Queen prawns). Similarly for American readers, if a recipe calls for prawns, simply use shrimp/jumbo shrimp.

Is shrimp healthy?

Shrimp or prawns are an excellent source of protein and vitamin D, which is essential for calcium and magnesium absorption.
They also have high levels of zinc which helps to increase leptin levels in your body. Leptin helps your body’s regulation of fat storage and use of energy.
Shrimp contain Iodine which also helps with your body’s energy levels and how energy is used when your body is resting, it also plays a role in supporting your thyroid gland.
They also contain many other minerals and vitamins essential for heart health, healthy hair and skin and bone health like phosphorous, vitamin A and omega-3 fatty acids.

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