Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Lemon Garlic Parmesan Shrimp Pasta
Lemon gives buttery garlic shrimp pasta a bright finish that keeps you reaching for another forkful. Spinach winds through the linguine, with Parmesan adding its savory bite.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 13 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner · Main course
- Primary protein
- Seafood
- Cuisine
- American · Caribbean · Latin American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Pasta
A few quick notes
1. Keep the shrimp moving
Add the shrimp after the garlic has had a moment in the butter and oil. Once they start turning pink, move on to the seasoning and spinach so they don't spend too long in the hot pan.
2. Use the same pot
The pasta comes out first, then the sauce and shrimp happen in that same pan. It saves washing up, and the pasta can go straight back in once the spinach has wilted.
3. The lemon goes last
Wait until the pasta, butter, parmesan and parsley are already mixed. Tossing in the lemon juice right before serving keeps the finish fresh and sharp.
Get to know the ingredients
Linguine
Cook the linguine first and drain it before starting the shrimp. It goes back into the pot later, where the remaining butter and parmesan coat the strands.
Butter, divided
Only part of the butter starts with the olive oil and garlic. The rest is stirred in with the pasta at the end, which helps pull the parmesan and parsley through the whole pot.
Baby spinach
The spinach is added after the shrimp begins to turn pink. It just needs to wilt, so don't treat it like a separate long-cooking vegetable.
Let’s make it
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Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
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How to make it
0 of 5 steps completeMake room for Lemon Garlic Parmesan Shrimp Pasta
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
The last little job
After the butter has melted into the pasta and everything is mixed, add the lemon juice and toss. Then serve it right away while the shrimp is hot and the sauce is still glossy.
A little more help as you go
Season in the pan
Salt and pepper go in with the shrimp, before the Italian seasoning and spinach. That gives the shrimp their seasoning as they cook, instead of trying to fix everything at the end.
Garlic and red pepper first
The garlic and red pepper flakes cook briefly in the olive oil and butter until fragrant. That's the flavor base for the shrimp, so keep an eye on it and add the shrimp once it smells garlicky.
A few questions you might have
Do I cook the pasta all the way before adding it back?
Yes. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, drain it, and set it aside. It returns to the pot later to mix with the shrimp, spinach, butter, parmesan and parsley.
When do I add the Italian seasoning?
Add it after the shrimp have started to turn pink. The spinach goes in at the same point and cooks until wilted.
Should the parmesan go in before or after the lemon?
Add the parmesan with the pasta, remaining butter and parsley first. Once everything is mixed and the butter has melted, toss in the lemon juice right before serving.
How do I know when to add the spinach?
Add the spinach once the shrimp have begun turning pink and you've added the Italian seasoning. It cooks in the same pot until wilted.
Is the parsley cooked or added fresh at the end?
The chopped parsley is stirred in when the pasta goes back into the pot, along with the remaining butter and parmesan. It gets mixed through just before the lemon juice goes in.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: therecipecritic.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
