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Quick Creamy Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta

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A fast and easy 15-minute dinner featuring shrimp and linguine tossed in a creamy lemon garlic sauce made without heavy cream.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (fresh or thawed frozen)
  • 8 ounces linguine or spaghetti
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • Juice and zest of 1 medium lemon
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Red pepper flakes, optional, a pinch

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 8 ounces of linguine and cook according to package instructions (usually 9-11 minutes) until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water before draining. Drain the pasta and set aside.
  2. While pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 pound peeled, deveined shrimp. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if desired. Cook shrimp about 2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Remove shrimp and set aside.
  3. In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium and add minced garlic. Sauté about 30 seconds until fragrant, do not brown. Add lemon zest and juice and stir to combine.
  4. Lower heat and add 4 ounces softened cream cheese to skillet. Stir constantly, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time until sauce is creamy and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Return cooked shrimp to skillet along with drained pasta. Toss gently to coat pasta and shrimp evenly in sauce. Heat through 1-2 minutes.
  6. Remove from heat, sprinkle with ½ cup grated Parmesan and chopped parsley. Toss gently and serve immediately.

Notes

If sauce is too thick, add more reserved pasta water one tablespoon at a time. Do not overcrowd shrimp in pan to ensure proper sear. Soften cream cheese before use for smooth sauce. Lemon zest brightens the dish and should not be skipped. Leftovers keep up to 2 days refrigerated; reheat gently with splash of water or broth.

Nutrition

Keywords: shrimp pasta, lemon garlic pasta, creamy pasta, quick dinner, easy shrimp recipe, 15 minute meal

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