Quick and Easy 15-Minute Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta Recipe For Busy Moms

We all love pasta in our house, even though we’re Asian and I’m a big fan of rice. But my kids? They can’t get enough of pasta and noodles. My absolute favorite thing to cook is shrimp pasta. It’s incredibly delicious, and guess what? It’s really easy and quick to make. Ready to try making it yourself? Just check out my recipe below. Enjoy!

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo shrimp

400g dried spaghetti

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 tsp Spanish paprika

5-6 garlic cloves, minced

1 large lemon

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Grated parmesan

Optional: (for a little bit of a kick)

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Procedure:

1. Start by cleaning the shrimp, removing the shell but reserving the heads. In a pot, add the shrimp heads with 1 cup of water and bring it to a boil. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes, then strain the liquid and set it aside. Meanwhile, season the peeled shrimp with a squeeze of lemon, a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and 1/2 tsp of Spanish paprika. Let the shrimp marinate while you proceed with the next steps.
2. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until it’s just al dente. Remember to reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water before draining the pasta.
3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat up olive oil and butter until they start to sizzle. Add in half of the minced garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes, cooking and stirring for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Then add the marinated shrimp, cooking and stirring until they turn pink, which should take around 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
4. Once the pasta is cooked, return the skillet with the shrimp mixture to medium heat. Add the drained pasta, reserved shrimp stock, and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir everything together until heated through, adjusting the consistency with more pasta water if needed.
5. Take the skillet off the heat and stir in chopped parsley, lemon juice, and zest. Season the dish to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Transfer the flavorful shrimp and pasta mixture to a serving platter or bowl. If desired, sprinkle some freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top before serving. Enjoy your delicious meal!