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Home > Meal Type > Pasta Recipes > Lemon Pepper Shrimp Pasta

Lemon Pepper Shrimp Pasta

Updated: Feb 17th 2020 • Published: Jan 17th 2020 • Leave a Comment

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a bowl of shrimp pasta with text at the bottom
a pan of pasta with a butter sauce with text at the bottom
shrimp on a bed of pasta with lemon zest and text at the bottom
shrimp on a bed of pasta with lemon zest and text at the bottom
shrimp on a bed of pasta with lemon zest and text at the bottom
a fork picking up a shrimp from a pan of pasta with text at the bottom
shrimp on a bed of pasta with lemon zest and text at the top
close up on shrimp pasta with text at the top
shrimp on a bed of pasta with lemon zest and text at the top
close up on lemon pepper shrimp pasta with text at the top
shrimp on a bed of pasta with lemon zest and parley, with text at the top
close up on shrimp pasta with text at the top
a pan of pasta with a butter sauce and text at the top
shrimp on a bed of pasta with lemon zest and parley, with text at the top
a fork stabbing a shrimp from a bowl of pasta with text at the top
shrimp pasta with a butter sauce and text at the top
a fork swirling pasta around it with a shrimp at the end and text at the bottom
shrimp on a bed of pasta with lemon zest and parley, with text at the bottom
shrimp pasta with a buttery sauce and text at the bottom
two pictures of lemon pepper shrimp pasta with text in the middle
two pictures of lemon pepper shrimp pasta with text in the middle
close up on the lemon shrimp pasta with text at the top
a pan of lemon shrimp pasta with butter and text at the top
Close up on the shrimp in a bowl of pasta with text at the top
overhead of shrimp pasta with text at the top and bottom
close up on lemon srimp pasta with text at the top and bottom
overhead of shrimp pasta with text at the bottom

Juicy shrimp in a zesty lemon pepper butter sauce, all stirred through pasta. This Lemon Pepper Shrimp Pasta is AMAZING!!

This Lemon Pepper Shrimp Pasta is quick enough for a midweek dinner but fancy enough to serve when you have company. 

Everyone loves pasta, and this restaurant-quality shrimp pasta is always a winner. With garlic, lemon, and black pepper, this recipe is packed with flavor.

a metal pan of shrimp and pasta with lemon slices on the side

Jump Menu

  • How to make an easy lemon pepper sauce
  • Pasta Cooking Water?
  • Frozen Shrimp
  • How to quickly defrost shrimp
  • How to cook shrimp
  • Ingredient tips
  • What wine to drink with lemon pepper shrimp pasta?
  • Lemon Pepper Shrimp Pasta

How to make an easy lemon pepper sauce

The sauce for this pasta couldn’t be simpler! It is a mixture of stock, wine, and butter along with plenty of lemon, black pepper, and garlic.

These are all simmered together to create a lusciously tangy smooth sauce. 

The final key to the sauce is to reserve some of the pasta cooking water; this helps the sauce to coat every strand of pasta.

Pasta Cooking Water?

Yes, just a scoop of the water the pasta was cooked in is the key to almost all great pasta sauces. 

As the pasta cooks, it releases starch into the water, which helps the sauce cling to the pasta. 

Most of my pasta recipes (of which there are currently 60+) say to remove a couple of cups of the pasta water before draining the pasta.

While you often only need to add a 1/4-1/2 cup to the sauce, it is always best to reserve extra. Just in case.

overhead view showing the lemon butter sauce in the pan of pasta

Frozen Shrimp

I usually buy frozen shelled cleaned shrimp and keep a bag in the deep freeze. They are an easy addition to dinners and can be defrosted quickly when needed. 

Ideally, I look for 20-30 count shrimp; this means there are 20-30 shrimp per pound. Remember when buying shrimp, the small the count, the bigger the shrimp.

Frozen foods can get a bad rep, but with shrimp, it makes perfect sense. Fresh shrimp has a fridge life of a couple of days, whereas frozen shrimp are good for 6 months. Plus, most ‘fresh’ shrimp sold in grocery stores and supermarkets is shrimp that is frozen at sea and then defrosted in-store before being put on display. 

When buying frozen shrimp, look for shrimp that have been individually frozen, rather than shrimp frozen as a block. These are often labeled as IQF (individually quick frozen).

How to quickly defrost shrimp

Place the frozen shrimp in a bowl and sprinkle with 1-2 tsp of salt. Add in room temperature water and allow the shrimp to sit for 10 minutes. 

Drain and pat dry before cooking.

If you are not going to be cooking the shrimp right away, then use cold water in your bowl or defrost the shrimp in the refrigerator.

a fork picking up a shrimp from a bowl of pasta

How to cook shrimp

Shrimp cook very quickly – around 3-5 minutes depending on the size. 

As you cook, shrimp the color will change, and they will turn a pink/orange colour, lose their translucent look and go opaque. 

Another great way to ensure you don’t overcook your shrimp is the shape. A perfectly cooked shrimp will have a C shape. Overcooked shrimp will curl up completely and resemble an O.

I remember it as:

 Completely perfect = C

 Overcooked = O

a high lipped plate of linguine with shrimp

Ingredient tips

LEMONS – PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE use fresh lemons for this recipe! They are far superior to the bottled juice and you need the zest of the lemon to really enhance the sauce.

PEPPER – Freshly ground black pepper from a pepper mill/grinder is the best pepper you can use here. It will have the nuttiest flavor and the subtle spice.

Next up is the store bought cracked pepper, this has good sized pieces of pepper.

Avoid the powdered black pepper as that doesn’t have the peppery bite and also can make your pasta taste powdery. IF that is all you have then reduce the amount in the recipe

PASTA – We like this with linguine, but any long pasta works well here. The delicate sauce is wonderful with angel hair or thin spaghetti. If you prefer a shape then a spiral shape will cling to the sauce well.

Cook the pasta for a minute less than the packet suggest. This is because the pasta will finish cooking in the sauce, where it soaks up the delicious flavors without getting overcooked.

a metal pan of lemon pepper shrimp pasta garnished with parsley

What wine to drink with lemon pepper shrimp pasta?

Lemon sauces can be complicated to pair with wine, as the lemon juice softens wines and can sometimes make them taste sweet.

For this recipe, I love a glass of dry bubbly. The bubbles help to balance the butter and the lemon in the sauce. Make sure it is a crisp, dry wine, so the lemon doesn’t overpower it. Or pick a dry soave, which has tart notes that can be balanced by the zingy sauce. 

a fork swirling pasta from a shrimp pasta

Enjoy x

For other delicious pasta recipes why not try:

  • Garlic Butter Pasta with Garlic Chicken
  • Easy Garlic Bacon Pasta
  • Creamy Lemon Salmon Pasta
  • Creamy Tomato Chicken and Chorizo Pasta
  • Mediterranean Roasted Vegetable Pasta
  • Pasta with Chicken Broth and Butter
  • Creamy Pepper Steak Pasta
  • Black Truffle Pasta
  • See ALL 60+ Pasta Recipes

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close up of shrimp on top of linguine
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5 from 1 vote

Lemon Pepper Shrimp Pasta

The Lemon Pepper Shrimp Pasta is full of flavor! Lemon zest and juice add a zing, mixed with enough pepper to make it exciting but mild enough for kids. This pasta recipe is quick to make, delicious to eat, and is sure to be a hit! Serve with a side salad or some roasted veg for a quick and easy meal perfect for weeknights or a special date night supper.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Total Time20 mins
Course: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4
Calories: 633kcal
Author: Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts
For more great recipes follow me on PinterestFollow @sprinklessprout
Need Metric Measurements?Use the options below to toggle between cups and grams (if relevant)

Ingredients

US Customary – Grams

For the pasta

  • 12 oz pasta – see note 1
  • 1 tbsp salt

For the sauce

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb raw shrimp – shelled and deveined
  • 3 garlic cloves – minced
  • 1 cup broth – see note 2
  • ½ cup white wine – see note 3
  • 1 lemon – juice and zest
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper -see note 4
  • ¼ cup butter – chopped into cubes

To garnish

  • fresh parsley

Instructions

  • Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and cook the 12 ounces/340g of pasta for 1 minute less than the packet instructions.
  • Once cooked, reserve 2 cups of the cooking liquid and drain the pasta.
  • While pasta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet/frying pan over medium heat.
  • Add in 1 pound/450g of raw shrimp and cook for 3 minutes, turning often. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
  • Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and cook the minced garlic(3 cloves) over low heat for 1 minute.
  • Pour in 1 cup/240ml of broth, 1/2 cup/125ml of wine, 2 tbsp of lemon juice and 1 tbsp of lemon zest — season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 tsp of black pepper.
  • Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced by about 1/2.
  • Add 1/4 cup/56g of chopped butter to the sauce and turn up the heat.
  • Add the drained pasta and the shrimp back into the pan and stir well.
  • Add 1/2 cup/125ml of the reserved pasta water and keep stirring until the pasta has absorbed the sauce. (about 1-2 minutes) I find tongs work well for this as they can lift and turn the pasta quickly.
  • Add more pasta water if needed.
  • Serve immediately garnished with parsley.

Notes

  1. Pasta – we love this lemon pepper sauce with spaghetti, but the sauce will work with any long pasta, so use angel hair, linguine or tagliatelle. If you prefer a smaller pasta, this is equally good with a spiral pasta.
  2. You can use vegetable, chicken or seafood broth for the sauce. I like to use my homemade shrimp stock (recipe here).
  3. Use any dry white wine that you would happily drink. If you want to make this without wine, then add another tablespoon of lemon juice and 1/2 cup water. (If you replace the wine with broth then you will need to reduce the salt in the sauce)
  4. Try to use freshly ground black pepper from a pepper mill or the course cracked pepper you can buy in the grocery store. If you can only find the finely powdered pepper, then reduce the pepper by at least half.

Nutrition

Calories: 633kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 316mg | Sodium: 851mg | Potassium: 348mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 480IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 199mg | Iron: 4mg
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Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts

I believe cooking for those you love should be stress free and simple.

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