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Creamy Lemon Shrimp Pasta

Creamy Lemon Shrimp Pasta is a quick, easy, and delicious weeknight dinner!

Creamy Lemon Shrimp Pasta in a shallow pasta bowl, topped with fresh parsley and a gold fork next to it.

While Marc and I never ate a lot of pasta when it was just the two of us, it’s quickly becoming a staple in our regular rotation of weekly dinners.  Both of our boys absolutely love “noodle night” - regardless of if it’s Million Dollar Baked Spaghetti, Pesto Chicken Pasta, or Sausage Rigatoni. I’m just thankful when they’ll eat something that’s not dipped in ranch so - noodle night for the win!  

When it comes to choosing sauces, I’m always a creamy sauce girl.  I mean, how can you go wrong with butter, cream, and cheese? You just can’t.  And while creamy sauces might seem intimidating, I assure you they’re not! It’s really as simple as combining some butter, milk, and cheese.  

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

Fast - Would you believe me if I said it was done in 25 minutes, TOPS?!  The thing that takes the longest is waiting for the pasta water to boil.

Family Friendly - even my kids, who don't like shrimp, devour the pasta part of this dish!

Pantry Ingredients - this recipe has accessible ingredients that I often have on hand.

Ingredients

Shrimp - I have used fresh or frozen shrimp but always use tail-off, peeled, and deveined shrimp.

Lemon - lemon juice and zest are used here for lots of lemon flavor.

Butter - the shrimp is cooked in butter, as well as the garlic.

Heavy Cream and Milk - the base of the cream sauce.

Parmesan Cheese - this adds some sharpness to the sauce and also helps thicken it a little.

Fresh Garlic - adds delicious garlic flavor.

Fettuccine Pasta - I love thick fettuccine noodles for the sauce to coat!

Refer to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients.

Variations

Swap the butter for olive oil.

Spice it up with some red pepper flakes.

Add some herbs like fresh basil.

Thicken the sauce with a tablespoon of cornstarch.

Use a different long pasta like angel hair or spaghetti, or use a shorter pasta like rigatoni or penne.

If you’re not a fan of shrimp, you can definitely use a different protein like chicken, or just omit it altogether.  

Step by Step Instructions

Photo 1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp.

Photo 2. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the shrimp is pink and no longer translucent.

Photo 3. Remove the shrimp from the skillet. Add another tablespoon of butter and mined garlic. Cook for 1 minute.

Photo 4. Slowly whisk in the milk and heavy cream. Cook 1-2 minutes to let the sauce thicken.

Photo 5. Whisk in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese.

Photo 6. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions.

Photo 7. Add the cooked shrimp and pasta to the sauce.

Photo 8. Toss to combine. Serve and enjoy!

Expert Tips

While you’re waiting for the water to boil/pasta to cook, you’ll start on the rest by cooking the shrimp. Shrimp cooks really fast, so that part will be done in five minutes.  

This sauce is not super thick, as it doesn't have a thickening agent like flour and cornstarch, and I don't think it needs one as the Parmesan cheese helps thicken it. If you'd like it thicker, combine 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of milk and add it to the sauce.

I don't recommend subbing the heavy cream and whole milk for something lighter. The sauce definitely needs the fat to thicken up and would likely curdle with something with less fat due to the lemon.

Serve with some crusty bread and a light salad or some roasted vegetables like my Parmesan Brussels Sprouts.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

White skillet with lemon shrimp pasta sprinkled with fresh parsley.

Other Pasta Recipes to Consider

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #greensnchocolate.

Creamy Lemon Shrimp Pasta

Creamy Lemon Shrimp Pasta

Creamy Lemon Shrimp Pasta is a quick, easy, and delicious weeknight dinner!
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 714kcal

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces fettuccine pasta
  • 1 pound raw shrimp
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for serving
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Zest from ½ lemon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • Fresh parsley for topping

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to boil.
  • Add pasta and cook until al dente.
  • Meanwhile, add 2 tablespoons of butter to a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add shrimp and cook until pink, about 5 minutes.
  • Remove shrimp from pan.
  • Add garlic to the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cook for one minute, being careful not to burn it.
  • Slowly whisk in milk, followed by cream.
  • Let the milk mixture heat up, coming to a light simmer and then stir in the Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper, stirring to let the cheese melt.
  • Add in the cooked pasta and shrimp, stirring to coat the noodles.
  • Serve topped with parsley.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 714kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 360mg | Sodium: 1653mg | Potassium: 455mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 868IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 605mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @greensnchocolate to let me know!
Need more ideas?Find all of my recipe pins @greenschocolate

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