This Easy Bacon Shrimp Pasta Recipe is absolutely delicious! It is perfect for a simple dinner with friends but quick enough for a busy weeknight meal! This pasta is 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! 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!
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.