Easy pasta al limone with shrimp

You’re going to love this pasta al limone with sautéed shrimp. A classic Italian pasta dish, it’s the perfect easy and delicious dinner recipe and comes together in less than 30 minutes.

Pasta al limone with shrimp

Ingredients needed

The creamy lemon pasta sauce couldn’t be simpler and requires only a few ingredients. You can of course serve the pasta as is with the creamy sauce but adding sautéed shrimp makes this a showstopper meal. You could use seared chicken too, if you don’t like/eat seafood.

  •  Shrimp/prawns. I used whole shrimp and peeled and deveined it myself but feel free to use peeled shrimp. If using frozen shrimp, allow to thaw completely then pat dry before cooking.
  • Extra-virgin olive oil/butter. Olive oil is the more traditional choice but I love butter with pasta. Use whichever you prefer.
  • Pasta. I used tagliatelle but fettuccine, linguine, spaghetti, rigatoni or penne will all work.
  • Fresh garlic cloves. 
  • Fresh lemon juice and zest.
  • Cream. Whipping or heavy cream. Cream isn’t traditionally used in al limone but I wanted to sauce to be a little saucier. You can still achieve that without cream however by tossing more of the pasta cooking water and a little extra cheese with the pasta.
  • Parmesan cheese. Parmigiano Reggiano is my cheese of choice but Pecorino or Grana Padano will also work.
  • Salt and black pepper.
  • Parsley, for serving. Using fresh herbs isn’t completely necessary but I like a generous sprinkle over the pasta to finish.

Juicy shrimp cooked in creamy lemon sauce. Pasta al limone with shrimp.

How to make pasta al limone with shrimp

  1. Cook the pasta: Place a large pot of salted water over medium-high heat then allow to boil. Add the pasta to the pot of water and cook until al dente. Once cooked, reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water then drain the pasta.
  2. Cook the shrimp: Peel and devein the shrimp then pat dry with paper towels. Add to a medium bowl then drizzle over a teaspoon of olive oil and season generously with salt. Heat a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp and allow to sear for a minute per side then remove and set aside.
  3. Make the sauce: In the same pan, melt butter or add a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add the garlic and and cook for a minute until fragrant. Pour in the cream, lemon juice and lemon zest and season. Allow to simmer for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly and coats the back of a spoon easily. If you are worried about the sauce splitting because of the lemon juice, don’t be. If you use heavy or whipping cream, the fat content should be able to handle the lemon juice. However, you can stir in the lemon juice with the pasta and shrimp too, if preferred. Tip the drained pasta and shrimp into the lemon sauce and add a splash of the reserved pasta water. Stir to coat in the sauce, adding more starchy pasta water if necessary. Add a generous amount of grated cheese, toss and serve garnished with fresh parsley.

Pasta al limone with shrimp

Lemon pasta recipes

  1. Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
  2. 20 minute Lemon Zucchini Pasta with Whipped Goat’s cheese
  3. Lemon Parmesan Kale Pasta
Pasta al limone with shrimp

Easy pasta al limone with shrimp

You are going to love this pasta al limone with juicy sautéed shrimp. It's the perfect easy and delicious dinner recipe.
4.84 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Cajun shrimp pasta recipe, Lemon shrimp pasta, Pasta al Limone
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Calories: 585kcal
Author: Alida Ryder
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 500 g (1lb) pasta
  • 500 g (1lb) shrimp/prawns peeled and deveined
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt

For the lemon pasta sauce

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed
  • 1 cup cream
  • 1-2 lemons juiced and zested
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • parsley to serve

Instructions

  • Place a large pot of salted water over medium-high heat then allow to boil.
  • Add the pasta to the pot of water and cook until al dente - 8-10 minutes depending on the shape. The pasta should be pleasant to eat: soft but firm.
  • Once cooked, reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water then drain the pasta.
  • Peel and devein the shrimp then pat dry with paper towels.
  • Add to a medium bowl then drizzle over a teaspoon of olive oil and season generously with salt.
  • Heat a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat.
  • Add the shrimp and allow to sear for a minute per side then remove and set aside.
  • In the same pan, melt butter or add a few tablespoons of olive oil.
  • Add the garlic and and cook for a minute until fragrant.
  • Pour in the cream, lemon juice (to taste) and lemon zest and season.
  • Allow to simmer for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly and coats the back of a spoon easily.
  • Tip the drained pasta and shrimp into the lemon sauce and add a splash of the reserved pasta water.
  • Stir to coat in the sauce, adding more pasta water if necessary.
  • Add a generous amount of grated cheese, toss and serve garnished with fresh parsley.

Nutrition

Calories: 585kcal | Carbohydrates: 102g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 832mg | Potassium: 198mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 239IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 175mg | Iron: 2mg