This lemon garlic shrimp pasta with spinach is a 30-minute dinner with tender shrimp, linguine and baby spinach tossed in a garlicky butter and olive oil sauce with Parmesan and fresh lemon juice. There’s no cream. The starchy pasta water and Parmesan make the sauce silky.

The secret is finishing the pasta in the same skillet you cooked the shrimp in. The al dente pasta simmers for a couple of minutes in the shrimp-flavored butter, garlic and pasta water, so it soaks up all that flavor and the sauce clings to every strand.

Why You’ll Love This Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta

• It’s on the table in about 30 minutes, with one pot for the pasta and one skillet for everything else.
• No heavy cream. Starchy pasta water and freshly grated Parmesan turn the butter and olive oil into a light, glossy sauce.
• The shrimp cook for just 3 minutes, come out of the pan, and go back in at the end, so they stay tender instead of rubbery.
• A whole 5-ounce container of baby spinach wilts right into the pasta.
• You add the lemon juice at the end, a little at a time, so it’s as bright as you like it.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Linguine (or another long pasta like fettuccine or spaghetti)
• Large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Unsalted butter and extra-virgin olive oil
• Garlic
• Parmesan cheese
• Fresh baby spinach
• A large lemon
• Kosher or sea salt and black pepper
• Optional, for serving: lemon zest and fresh parsley

Simple ingredients, and most of them are probably already in your kitchen.

Shrimp Pasta Ingredient Notes

Shrimp

Use large shrimp, peeled and deveined, with the tails on or off. The count (16/20) means there are 16 to 20 shrimp per pound. Frozen shrimp work great. Just thaw them completely first. Either way, pat them dry with a paper towel before they go in the pan so they cook in the butter instead of steaming in their own water.

Garlic

The garlic is thinly sliced, not minced. Slices are less likely to burn in the hot butter, and you get soft, mellow bites of garlic all through the pasta. It only needs 1 minute in the pan before the shrimp go in.

Parmesan

Grate it fresh from a block if you can. Freshly grated Parmesan melts into the sauce smoothly, while the pre-grated kind tends to clump. Here’s more on what makes real Parmigiano Reggiano special.

Pasta Water

Don’t drain it all down the sink. Save 1 ½ cups of the starchy cooking water before you drain the pasta. One cup goes into the skillet, and the rest is there if the pasta needs a little more liquid as it finishes.

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How to Make Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta

The pasta and shrimp cook at the same time, so this moves quickly. Here’s the order:

1. Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta 2 minutes shy of the package instructions, until al dente, since it finishes cooking in the skillet. Scoop out 1 ½ cups of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
2. Cook the garlic and shrimp. While the pasta cooks (usually about 7 to 8 minutes), pat the shrimp dry and season with salt. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the shrimp and cook until they’re just starting to turn opaque, about 3 minutes. Move the shrimp to a plate. They’ll finish cooking at the end.
3. Finish the pasta in the skillet. Add 1 cup of the reserved pasta water to the skillet and bring it to a simmer. Carefully transfer the al dente pasta to the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the pasta is cooked, adding more pasta water if needed.
4. Add the Parmesan, spinach and shrimp. Toss the pasta with the Parmesan, then add the spinach and toss until it wilts. Add the shrimp and any juices from the plate back to the pan.
5. Add lemon and season. Start with the juice of half the lemon (about 1 tablespoon), toss, taste and add more lemon juice as needed. Adjust the salt and black pepper.
6. Serve. Transfer the pasta to bowls and top with lemon zest, chopped parsley and more black pepper if you like. Serve right away.

See the full recipe and tips in the printable recipe card below.

What to Serve With Shrimp Pasta

This is a full meal in one bowl, but a simple green salad or some roasted broccoli on the side is always nice. If you love lemon and garlic together, my Easy Angel Hair Pasta with Garlic & Lemon and Easy Baked Lemon Garlic Salmon are two more quick dinners to try.

How to Store Leftover Shrimp Pasta

This pasta is best served right away. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce, just until warm, so the shrimp don’t overcook. It doesn’t freeze well, since the shrimp and pasta both turn soft once thawed.

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta FAQs

Can you make lemon garlic shrimp pasta without cream?

Yes, and this recipe has none. The sauce is butter, olive oil, garlic, starchy pasta water, Parmesan and lemon juice. The starch from the pasta water helps everything come together into a light, glossy sauce.

Do I need white wine for shrimp pasta?

No. This version doesn’t use wine. The pasta water, Parmesan and fresh lemon juice give the sauce plenty of flavor.

How do you keep shrimp from getting rubbery?

Don’t overcook them. In this recipe, the shrimp cook for about 3 minutes, just until they start to turn opaque, then come out of the pan. They go back in at the very end and finish cooking in the hot pasta.

What’s the difference between this and shrimp scampi?

My Shrimp Scampi is all about the garlic shrimp in a buttery white wine and lemon sauce. This lemon garlic shrimp pasta is a complete pasta dinner: linguine, shrimp and spinach finished together in the skillet with Parmesan and pasta water, and no wine.

Can I use frozen shrimp?

Yes. Thaw them completely (overnight in the fridge, or in a bowl of cold water), then pat them very dry before cooking.

If you make this lemon garlic shrimp pasta, let me know how it turned out in the comments below!

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