Lemon Shrimp Pasta With Garlic Recipe

Lemon shrimp pasta is a variation of pasta al limone, a velvety and mildly acidic pasta dish made with lemon, a touch of heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese. Top this classic lemon pasta with sautéed or grilled shrimp (or even shrimp scampi) for a protein boost.

Lemon shrimp pasta couldn’t be simpler, but there are a few important things to keep in mind. Read ahead for some tips to ensure your lemon pasta is a surefire winner.

1. 1. Add vegetables. For added flavor and nutritional value, add some vegetables to the pasta dish. Sauté zucchini or broccoli to add textural variety. For ease, stir in spinach, peas, or cherry tomatoes at the end of the cooking process.
2. 2. Avoid overcooking your pasta. Boiling your pasta to al dente is key because the pasta will continue to cook in the sauce after it’s added in. Overcooking the noodles may result in an unpleasantly mushy texture.
3. 3. Carefully zest and juice the lemon. When it comes to zesting, you want to avoid the white part between the lemon flesh and the skin known as the pith. Pith is bitter-tasting, so do your best to stop zesting or grating prior to reaching that part of the lemon.
4. 4. Clean the shrimp. Shrimp have a dark blue or black digestive tract that runs like a vein along their back ridges. Deveining is the process of removing this tract, and it can be time-consuming. Depending on the size of your shrimp and how you decide to cook them, deveining can eliminate any leftover grit in the final dish. Many grocery stores sell deveined shrimp, but you can perform the task yourself by using a paring knife or pair of kitchen shears to cut away the shell and open up the ridge to remove any waste.
5. 5. Defrost frozen shrimp in the refrigerator. It takes a little planning ahead, but allow yourself time to defrost the shrimp properly. Place the frozen shrimp in a strainer set over a shallow bowl and set it in the fridge. If you’re short on time, seal the frozen shrimp in a freezer bag, and submerge it in cool water. Avoid rinsing or soaking the shrimp directly, which results in waterlogged, flavorless shrimp.
6. 6. Salt your pasta water. Using salty, starchy pasta cooking water helps to thicken the sauce in just the right way, and the salt seasons the recipe overall. As a rule of thumb, add two tablespoons of salt for every gallon of pasta water before boiling.
7. 7. Use high-quality ingredients. The simplicity of this dish makes high-quality ingredients imperative. Use premium pasta, real lemon juice from ripe fruit, fresh cracked black pepper, and high-quality Italian cheese for the best end product. Depending on your location and the time of year, frozen shrimp may be higher-quality than fresh.