Easy Lemon Pasta With Shrimp (Pasta al Limone)
Inspired by the classic pasta al limone, this 30-minute lemon pasta with shrimp is light, zesty, and exactly what you want for your weeknights. Peppery arugula adds bite, the shrimp bring garlicky richness, and the whole thing comes together with just 8 ingredients. It’s bright, unfussy, and won’t leave you in a food coma.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 12 oz long-cut pasta (bucatini, spaghetti, linguini, etc.)
- 1 lb shrimp—peeled, deveined, and tail off
- 3 TBSP olive oil
- 4 TBSP butter
- 4 garlic cloves, minced or grated to a paste using a microplane
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced
- 1 cup packed freshly grated Parmesan, + more for garnish When I write packed, I mean that the measuring cup should be fully packed with cheese. If you press down on the grated cheese, it should reach the top brim and not go below.
- 2 handfuls of baby arugula
- Sea salt and cracked pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Lightly pat the shrimp dry and transfer them to a mixing bowl. Drizzle it with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, add the minced garlic, and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan, heat another 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-low heat. Once the butter has melted, add the garlic shrimp to the pan and cook for 1-3 minutes per side, depending on size. They'll be done when they're opaque and form a "C" shape. Transfer them to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set them aside.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of butter to the pan over medium-low heat, melting the butter.
- Add 1/2 of the lemon zest to the pan and simmer for about 2 minutes, whisking. Then add 1/2 of the lemon juice to the pan, and simmer for another 2 minutes, whisking occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside to cool. (See notes.)
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the pasta and cook until al dente (this should take about 7-8 minutes, depending on the pasta type. Check the package notes.) When done, reserve 1 cup of the hot pasta water before draining the pasta.
- Transfer the cooked pasta to the large saucepan of lemon butter.
- Add the hot pasta water, the remaining lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and cheese. As soon as you add that cheese, start tossing and stirring the pasta vigorously. It should melt to create a smooth and glossy sauce.
- Once the noodles are coated, toss in a few handfuls of arugula along with the shrimp, and toss to combine.
- Serve the pasta with extra grated Parmesan and lemon zest.
Notes
Making the butter sauce first, then setting it aside to cool as the pasta cooks, is crucial. You need that pan to cool so that it doesn't break the sauce later. Too much heat, and the Parmesan will clump rather than melt.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 436kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g
