This Easy Shrimp and Bacon Pasta Recipe is absolutely delicious! It is perfect for an easy dinner with friends but quick enough for a busy weeknight meal!
I guarantee it will be a crowd-pleaser! It tastes like something you would get in a family run Italian restaurant, but you can make it at home in under 25 minutes! (or even quicker if you have an electric kettle!)
With just a handful of ingredients that most people have in the fridge and freezer, you can quickly and easily whip up this shrimp pasta for dinner!
You guys LOVE my Garlic Bacon Pasta so much! Everyday it is one of the most popular recipes on the blog! So I wanted to share this Bacon Shrimp Pasta with you as it is just as simple but a little sophisticated!
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Simple yet sophisticated
I don't know about you, but shrimp pasta always feels just a little bit special!
Which is why I love this recipe! It is special and elegant, but so simple to make!
And we know that bacon makes nearly everything better!
Making Bacon Shrimp Pasta
You start by cooking the bacon. And this is the key to the flavor! As the bacon cooks, it gives off all those wonderful bacon drippings! Those drippings are packed with bacony flavor! This is used to make the sauce and also cook the shrimps. It adds a beautiful smoky bacon flavor, which mixed with the sweetness of the shrimp is just A-MAZING!
Once the bacon has cooked, we remove it from the pan (so it stays crisp) leaving behind the drippings then you add butter, white wine, and garlic!!! All the things that are going to make this taste incredible. A little lemon zest and some optional red pepper flakes and then the sauce just simmers gently before the shrimp are added.
Cooking the shrimp in the butter sauce, means they soak up flavor and also add extra flavor to the sauce. Win Win!
Which shrimp to buy for pasta
The choice of shrimp these days is fabulous, but it can be overwhelming.
I like to buy frozen raw shrimp! It means I can keep them in the freezer and know I always have something quick for dinner. Ideally, go for 20-25 or 26-30 count, which gives a good serving of shrimp per person - between 8-12.
You want to buy raw shrimps for this dish so that you can avoid overcooked shrimp! Overcooked shrimp is a waste of shrimp 🙁
What to serve with Shrimp and Bacon Pasta
Sides: Some crusty bread is always worth having alongside! There has to be something to soak up every last bit of the delicious sauce. But for the hit of something green and healthy, I also like a side of garlic green beans or some sautéed kale.
Wine: Shrimp, garlic, and bacon screams sauvignon blanc at me. Sauvignon blanc is a beautiful wine for pairing with anything garlicky, and here it works with the sweetness of the shrimp and the smokiness of the bacon.
For red lovers, a light Merlot will balance the dish without overpowering the sweet shrimp.
Or grab a bottle of bubbly, shrimp loves bubbles!
Enjoy x
For more delicious shrimp pasta recipes try:
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Bacon Shrimp Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lemon - zest and juice
- 2 garlic cloves - thinly sliced
- 6 slices bacon - chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 oz spaghetti - see note 1
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup dry white wine - see note 2
- 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined - see note 3
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
Start with the pasta water
- Place a large pan of water on to boil. (it will boil faster with a lid on, or use the electric kettle to make this dish even quicker)
- Once the water is at a boil, add the salt and put in the pasta, set your timer for one minute less than the packet instructions.
1 tablespoon salt
8oz/225g dried pasta - Reserve 2 cups of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta.
While the pasta cooks make the sauce
- Add the olive oil to a frying pan or skillet and cook the bacon over medium-high for 4-5 minutes until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon from the pan, leaving behind the drippings. (see note 4)
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 chopped slices of bacon - Reduce the heat under the bacon drippings very low heat. Add the butter, and once melted, add the sliced garlic and some of the lemon zest. Cook for 2-3 minutes, but don't let the garlic color.
2 tablespoons butter
2 sliced garlic cloves
1 teaspoon lemon zest - Add the wine to the skillet along with some of the lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Scoop ½ cup of the water from the pasta pan and add it to the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
½ cup white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ cup pasta cooking water
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper - Add the shrimp to sauce and cook for 3 minutes, stirring regularly.
1 pound/450g raw shrimp - Remove the pan from the heat and scrape the cooked bacon (and any collected juices) into your sauce.
- Transfer the pasta to the sauce along with ¼ cup of the reserved cooking water.
- Use tongs to lift and toss the pasta with the sauce over low heat. The pasta should soak up the sauce. Add pasta cooking water if needed until pasta is cooked to your liking. Taste your pasta and add more salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.
- Serve with parsley and extra lemon zest.
chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Notes
- Any long pasta will work here — spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine or tagliatelle.
- A sauvignon blanc would be the perfect wine here. And it drinks well with the dish! Or add a½ cup of bubbles if you have chosen to drink them with your pasta. For those who can't or prefer not to drink wine, you can replace the wine with broth (vegetable, seafood or chicken will work)
- Go for 20-25 count or 26-30 count raw shrimp and ensure they are fully defrosted if frozen.
- If you have very fatty bacon you may end up with too much bacon grease. You want around 3 tablespoons left in the pan.
Amy says
Instant family favorite. We tried this recipe tonight for a picky family of 6. I doubled it, left out the lemon (we only like lemon for sweets) and used chicken stock. It was so delicious. Everyone loved it and most had a second helping.
cj says
I tried this last night and I'm sorry, but I really did not enjoy it. The bacon grease overpowered the dish (there was so much of it) and as a result I could not taste the lemon. (When cooking bacon, it makes so much grease, do you really need olive oil?)
The garlic burnt because the instructions say not to let the garlic color, but then it tells you to use the same pan to cook the shrimp for three minutes. In doing so, the garlic burns.
Did I miss something or perhaps do something wrong?
Claire McEwen says
Hi CJ,
The garlic and shrimp are cooked with wine and pasta cooking water so the pan should never dry out enough for the garlic to burn.
If it was super greasy it sounds like your bacon was extra fatty. If this is the case, use only about 3 tablespoons of the grease to cook the garlic in.
Sorry you didn't enjoy it 🙁
Cx
Sandra says
We had a ton of spot prawns needing to be eaten and I was looking for a simple recipe without a bunch of cheese/cream…this one delivered! The recipe itself was super simple to follow and I had almost all of the ingredients on hand. It came together so well - I will definitely make this again!
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so glad you enjoyed the prawn pasta, it is one of my favs!!!
Cx
p.s lucky you having loads prawns to use up...yum!!!
Tiffany says
Made this tonight for dinner with a couple of small changes. I used peppered bacon, zucchini noodles, added a small diced shallot and a bit more pepper and finely shredded parmesan cheese at the end. It was delicious! Will definitely make again!
Madeleine says
This recipe is almost exactly what I was looking for. I added sun dried tomatoes soaked in olive oil and chopped olives and YUM. I also used fresh linguine since I didn't have any spaghetti. Thanks you!!
Claire McEwen says
Some delicious additions there! YUM!
So happy you loved the recipe 🙂
Cx
Aline says
All my faves in one recipe!!! Pasta, wine, shrimp and bacon!! haha So simple and so comforting!
Claire McEwen says
I couldn't agree more Aline 🙂
Cx
Jess says
I would not mind a big pasta bowl full of this dish right now! What could be better than pasta and shrimp!!! I am loving the flavors of this dish too! YUM!
Debie says
You had me at bacon and shrimp..well pasta too lol. So, we always have shrimp in our freezer and I was looking for something quick to cook for dinner and came across your recipe.This is easy and delicious..my whole family loved it.This has basic ingredients I already had on hand...this is going in my forever recipe book .
Claire McEwen says
Oh Debie, I am so pleased the family enjoyed it. It is a fav here too 🙂
Tammy says
Mmm I love pasta and seafood! This looks delicious! 😀
What a wonderful meal and beautiful photography!
Amanda says
Shrimp, bacon and pasta in one dish? I love everything about this! Plus, it's so easy to make. Thanks so much for sharing.
Caren says
Love this combo of shrimp and pasta. It can never have enough garlic or Parmesan for my taste 💗
Sharon says
Simple comfort food butter and garlic, that's what this shrimp and bacon pasta is all about.
Jacqui Debono says
This recipe is perfect for this week - I was looking for something tasty but low effort as I am saving my cooking energy for Christma Day! I have everything in to make this for dinner tomorrow 🙂
Elaine says
Shrimp and bacon - does it get any better than this? This fabulous combo can make any holiday brighter - with its flavor, looks and taste. Love this pasta recipe - delicious!