Lemon-Cream Shrimp Pasta
20 min
30 min
2 to 3
Main Course
Italian
This lemony shrimp and herb pasta dish is so quick and easy that it’s great for a weeknight supper, and so delicious it’s perfect for an elegant dinner party. It easily doubles for 6 servings.
Ingredients
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 8 ounces penne or similar pasta shape
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1 pound spot shrimp, sidestriped shrimp, or Louisiana Gulf shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- ½ cup heavy cream or half and half
- ½ cup seafood stock or bottled clam juice
- ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh, tender herbs such as flat-leaf parsley, chives, tarragon, and/or dill
Directions
Cook the Pasta
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente, 10 to 12 minutes depending on the shape. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water and drain the pasta. Set both aside separately.
Make the Sauce
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just beginning to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. If using large shrimp, add them to the skillet along with the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until pink and curled, about 1 minute. (If using smaller shrimp, like spot shrimp or sidestriped shrimp, add them with the pasta in step 3.) Stir in the cream and seafood stock and scrape up any bits stuck to the pan.
Finish and Serve
To the skillet, add the pasta, lemon zest, and small shrimp if using, and cook, stirring, until combined. Stir in the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the sauce is slightly reduced and coats the pasta, 2 to 3 minutes. Add a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water if needed to loosen the sauce. Stir in the herbs and serve right away.
Pro tips
Wine Pairings
A rich white wine, like a lightly oaked chardonnay or a Northern Italian white, plays well with the richness of the cream while providing welcome acidity.
Spice It Up
Stir in a bit of Calabrian chili paste at the end for a warming hit of spice.
Grace Parisi
Culinary Director Grace Parisi is a cook, writer and cookbook author. Formerly the Senior Test Kitchen Editor at Food & Wine Magazine and Executive Food Director at TimeInc Books, her work has appeared in Cooking Light, Health, O Magazine, Epicurious, Fitness, Today, Serious Eats, Martha Stewart, and many more. She’s the author of more than 6 books, among them The Portlandia Cookbook and Get Saucy, which was nominated for a James Beard award for Best Single Subject Cookbook.
