Spring Dinner Lemon Garlic Shrimp (Printable Version)

Fresh pasta with shrimp, lemon, and garlic in a light, flavorful sauce perfect for spring meals.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz whole wheat spaghetti or linguine
02 - Salt for pasta water

→ Shrimp

03 - 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
04 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
05 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Sauce and Aromatics

07 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
09 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
10 - Zest of 1 lemon
11 - Juice of 2 lemons, approximately 1/4 cup
12 - 1/4 cup dry white wine or low-sodium chicken broth
13 - 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
14 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, optional for serving

# Method:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
02 - Pat the shrimp dry and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
03 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side until just cooked through and pink. Transfer shrimp to a plate.
04 - Lower heat to medium in the same skillet. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil and sliced garlic. Sauté 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Add red pepper flakes, lemon zest, and white wine. Simmer 1 to 2 minutes until slightly reduced.
05 - Stir in lemon juice and cooked pasta, tossing to coat evenly. Add reserved pasta water one tablespoon at a time if needed until sauce lightly coats the noodles.
06 - Return cooked shrimp to the skillet. Add fresh parsley and toss gently to combine all ingredients.
07 - Transfer to serving plates immediately and top with Parmesan cheese if desired.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It comes together in the time it takes pasta to cook, so weeknight dinners actually feel manageable.
  • The lemon and garlic do all the heavy lifting flavor-wise, meaning you can taste every ingredient instead of drowning in cream.
  • Shrimp cooks so fast that you'll never overcook it once you know that pink moment to look for.
02 -
  • Overcooked shrimp turns rubbery and nothing can save it, so shoot for that pink moment and trust it more than you think you should.
  • Reserving pasta water is the secret weapon that transforms this from dry-and-choppy to silky-and-cohesive, so don't skip it even if you think you won't need it.
03 -
  • Buy shrimp the day you're cooking, or keep them in the coldest part of your fridge—they deteriorate quickly and it shows in the flavor.
  • Zesting the lemon before cutting it in half makes life easier, and using a microplane gives you the most delicate zest.
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