Creamy Lemon Shrimp Pasta with White Wine

Name: Creamy Lemon Shrimp Pasta with White Wine
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp olive oil; 2 Tbsp butter; 1 lemon, sliced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; ½ cup dry, white wine; ¼ cup heavy cream; ¼ cup Parmesan cheese; 1 ½ tsp salt; ¼ tsp black pepper; ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes; 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined; 1 lb of dry linguine

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Creamy and decadent, Creamy Lemon Shrimp Pasta with white wine is easy to make and the perfect meal for a date night at home or any special occasion.

Special occasions - birthdays, holidays, anniversaries - don’t all happen on the weekend. This recipe is perfect for celebrating a special day when you’re short on prep time.

Creamy Lemon Shrimp Pasta comes together in the time it takes to cook the pasta. Prep the dish while the water comes to a boil, make your sauce while the pasta cooks, and you’ll have an amazing dinner ready in no time.

We’re using the whole lemon in this dish, so the flavor comes from the juice, fruit, and oil in the lemon. This does mean that there’s no substitute for the real deal. You have to have 1 whole, fresh lemon for this dish.

The addition of heavy cream is what takes Creamy Lemon Shrimp Pasta to the next level. There’s not a lot in the recipe, but it’s just enough to finish off the dish, make it feel special, and give it that restaurant feel.

Serve the pasta with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley and a side of crusty bread for an amazing meal.

What You Need

Ingredients for Creamy Lemon Shrimp Pasta

Olive oil
Butter
A lemon
Garlic
White wine
Parmesan cheese
Heavy cream
Salt
Black pepper
Cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
Shrimp
Linguine

How to Make Lemon Shrimp Pasta

Cook pasta according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking…

In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and olive oil.

Thinly slice the lemon. Remove any seeds and place lemon slices in the skillet with butter and oil. Lay the lemon in a single layer.

Lemon slices in a skillet with butter and oil.

Cook for 2-3 minutes. Flip lemon slices over. Add white wine and continue cooking until the fruit and juice has come out of the lemon slices. About 4-5 minutes.

Cooked lemon slices with white wine, butter, and oil.

Remove and discard the lemon slices. (You should be left with wheels of rind and membrane.)

Cooked lemon slices after being removed from the skillet. — Your lemon slices should look like these.

Add the minced garlic and shrimp. Toss to coat in the oil mixture and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add heavy cream, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper and cooked pasta to the pan with the shrimp.

Toss to coat. Add Parmesan cheese to the pasta and stir to incorporate. Serve immediately.

Finished Creamy Lemon Shrimp Pasta in a skillet.

Enjoy!

Tips on Lemon Shrimp Pasta

What can I use besides shrimp?

To keep this vegetarian, swap out the shrimp with 2 cups of blanched broccoli florets. Small scallops are also delicious instead of the shrimp.

Do I have to use heavy cream?

Yes. Substituting the heavy cream for a lighter fat option like milk will cause the sauce to curdle. There’s a lot of lemon in this recipe and cream works best with the acidity.

Can I use another pasta besides linguine?

Absolutely! Swap the linguine for whatever pasta you have on hand. I recommend penne, cavatappi, rigatoni, or spaghetti noodles.

What kind of wine should I use?

Look for a dry, white wine like a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. Moscato and sweeter wines don’t work well for cooking. And don’t worry about alcohol being in this dish. All of the booze cooks out of the sauce.