Lemon garlic Parmesan shrimp pasta is bursting with fresh, bright, delicious flavor. Fresh lemon, plenty of garlic, and a generous grating of fresh Parmesan cheese make this pasta irresistible.
Shrimp is a great choice for a quick and easy dinner. If you forget to pull frozen shrimp from the freezer in time to thaw, no worries! Just place your shrimp in a bowl and cover with warm water, and they will be ready in no time. Shrimp also cooks very quickly, so dinner will be ready in no time.
Elements
Long Pasta: You can use spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine noodles. There are many types of long pasta, but these are the varieties I tend to keep available. Use whatever you have.
Olive Oil & Butter: Used to sauté and flavor the veggies and the shrimp.
Onion, Bell Pepper, & Mushrooms: I use red onion, red bell pepper, and baby bella mushrooms.
Garlic: A generous amount of garlic helps to flavor the dish.
Red Pepper Flakes: Gives the dish a hint of heat. Use a dash or a generous sprinkle depending on your taste.
Shrimp: Peeled, deveined, large, raw shrimp are used for this recipe.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Sun-dried tomatoes give the dish deep, intense tomato flavor. These tomatoes also pair with shrimp in this tasty dish.
Lemon Zest & Juice: Lemon juice, and especially the zest, gives the pasta bright, fresh flavor.
Salt & Pepper: Used to enhance the flavor.
Italian Seasoning: Dried Italian seasoning is perfect with pasta and Parmesan cheese.
Fresh Basil: It doesn’t get much better than pasta, tomatoes, and fresh basil.
Spinach: Adds a great pop of color.
Parmesan Cheese: Added to the pasta and sprinkled over the finished dish.
Preparation
Start boiling the water for the pasta right away, as this dish comes together quickly.
Melt the butter in a large skillet and drizzle in the olive oil. Add the veggies and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook for one minute.
Next, add the shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon zest, and salt and pepper. Shrimp cooks quickly; this only takes a few minutes. They will turn white and start to curl.
Finally, add the Italian seasoning, basil, and spinach. Cook, stirring until the spinach wilts. This only takes a few minutes.
Fold the pasta in along with Parmesan and lemon juice.
Top with an extra sprinkle of Parmesan. Serve lemon garlic Parmesan shrimp pasta on its own or with a veggie or side salad.
Lemon Garlic Parmesan Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 servings long pasta
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp butter
- ¼ chopped onion
- ¼ chopped red pepper
- ½ sliced mushroom
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ pound large shrimp
- 1 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 Tbsp fresh basil torn
- 1 cup baby spinach
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated, plus extra for serving
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- In a large pot, cook the pasta in boiling water according to package directions. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large, deep skillet. Add onions, red pepper, and mushrooms, and cook until soft. Remove to a plate.
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant.
- Add the shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon zest and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the shrimp start to turn pink. Add Italian seasoning, fresh basil, and spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted.
- Add the pasta to the pot with the parmesan and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
- Plate the pasta and sprinkle with additional fresh parmesan.