Name: Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 lb spaghetti; 1 lb peeled and deveined pacific white shrimp (frozen); 1/2 onion, finely minced; 4 cloves garlic, finely minced; 1 cup grape tomatoes, whole; 1 tsp red chili flakes (adjust per your spice tolerance); Juice and zest of 1 lemon; 1/4 cup reserved pasta water; 1 cup baby spinach; Salt and pepper to taste

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If pasta with fresh, light sauces is up your alley, you are going to want this lemon garlic shrimp pasta on your table ASAP. This pasta is packed with bright flavours, with a little hint of spice. This is a fifteen minute pasta, which makes it perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, or better yet, a desk lunch for those work-from-home days.

lemon garlic shrimp pasta plated in a bowl

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Why You'll Love This Shrimp and Lemon Pasta
Tell Me About This Pasta
Ingredients For a Quick and Lemon Pasta
Overview: How to Make 15 Minute Shrimp Pasta
Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Pasta
Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Why You'll Love This Shrimp and Lemon Pasta

It is one of the quickest pasta dishes you can make. No long simmering sauce, no complex ingredients. In the time it takes to boil your pasta, this sauce is ready to go!
This lemon pasta is fresh, and not heavy. This sauce has no cream, no butter, and no heavy cheeses. Don't get me wrong, those are all delicious. But sometimes, you want something light and bright!
The main ingredients are lemon, garlic shrimp and pasta, but it also has some fresh vegetables to make this nutritious. Packed with grape tomatoes and baby spinach, this pasta is healthy!
This pasta goes great with a fresh salad, especially with some homemade croutons

Tell Me About This Pasta

Flavour: This pasta has a good tang to it. Because the sauce is very minimal, it has a wonderful, citrus flavour. Garlic adds its usual delicious-ness, and some red chilli flakes add a little bit of heat.
Ease: This pasta is easy. I say this about almost every recipe, but I promise this is the easiest of them all. If you can boil pasta, you can make this!
Time: Ready in 15 minutes. The lemon garlic shrimp is ready in the time the pasta takes to boil, and all you have to do is mix the two together.

large bowl of pasta with shrimp and spaghetti

Ingredients For a Quick and Lemon Pasta

Spaghetti Pasta: This pasta works great with regular pasta, or even whole wheat. I personally love whole wheat pasta as well, because it has a nutty flavour and a chewy texture. Make sure you are boiling your pasta to al dente, and not past that! Al dente means "to the tooth" which means that it still has a little bit of a chew to it, and it is not soggy.
Garlic and Onions: A classic base for any dish. These are my holy grail.
31/40 Pacific White Shrimp: The number before the shrimp indicates how many shrimp you can expect to get per pound. The lower the number, the bigger the shrimp, and vice versa. I like to keep frozen shrimp on hand for quick meals, because it defrosts quickly and cooks even quicker!
Lemon Juice and Zest: Do not forget to zest your lemon before juicing it! Lemon zest has all the essence of lemon flavour, without being overly sour.
Grape Tomatoes and Baby Spinach: I strongly encourage the use of grape tomatoes, as they will burst nicely to mix with the sauce. Whole chopped tomatoes will lose their shape, and turn into tomato puree, which is not what you are going for here. Baby spinach is a great vegetable addition as you don't need to cook it. I put it in the pan just before I add the pasta on top, so it wilts perfectly.

Overview: How to Make 15 Minute Shrimp Pasta

Boil the Pasta: In a large pot of salted water, boil the spaghetti. In the last five minutes of the pasta boiling, add the shrimp. The shrimp will poach perfectly in the pasta water, and this will ensure that they do not overcook while making the sauce. Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water prior to draining - this is important!
Make the Sauce: On medium heat, in a large stainless steel skillet lightly covered with olive oil, saute the onions and garlic until fragrant. Add the grape tomatoes, and once the skins lightly burst, lightly press down on them. You want the juice from the tomatoes to come out, but do not break the tomatoes up fully. Add the chili flakes, lemon juice, and half of the reserved pasta water to the pan, and combine.
Toss Together: Before adding the pasta and shrimp to the skillet, add the baby spinach, and top with the hot pasta and shrimp. Turn the heat off, toss with remaining pasta water, and top with lemon zest.

Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Pasta

Season your Pasta Water Liberally: Seasoning your pasta water is the only chance you get to season your pasta on its own. The water should taste like the sea!
Switch up the Spice: Try this pasta with some Calabrian chili paste instead of chili flakes, or even add some basil pesto!