Description
This lemon garlic shrimp pasta with spinach is ready in 30 minutes. Shrimp, linguine and baby spinach are tossed in a garlicky butter and olive oil sauce with Parmesan, pasta water and fresh lemon juice, with no cream.
Ingredients
Units
- 1 pound linguine or other long pasta like fettuccine or spaghetti
- 1 pound large peeled and deveined shrimp (16/20 count), tails on or off
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 5-6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Juice of 1 large lemon
- Kosher salt or sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 5 ounces (about 4 handfuls) fresh baby spinach
- Optional, for serving: lemon zest and chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook 2 minutes shy of the package instructions until al dente (you’ll finish cooking it in the other pan). Scoop out 1 ½ cups of the cooking water, then drain the pasta in a colander and return it to the pot.
- While the pasta cooks (which is typically around 7-8 minutes), pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel and season with salt. In a large high skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, then add the shrimp and cook until they are just starting to turn opaque, about 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp to a plate and reserve.
- To the pan, add 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid and bring to a simmer, then carefully transfer the al dente pasta to the pan to let it finish cooking in the (now shrimp-flavored) butter, oil and garlic sauce. Cook 2-3 minutes until the pasta is cooked, adding more pasta water if needed.
- Once the pasta is just cooked, add the Parmesan and toss, then add the spinach and toss with the pasta to wilt it. Add the shrimp and any juices it let off back to the pan, then top the entire dish with the juice of 1 lemon, to taste (start with half the lemon, about 1 tablespoon, and add more lemon juice as needed). Adjust salt and black pepper, if needed.
- Transfer the pasta to bowls. Optionally, top with lemon zest and parsley. Sprinkle on more black pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Pasta water: Save at least 1 ½ cups of the pasta cooking water. One cup goes into the skillet, and the rest is for loosening the sauce if needed.
Shrimp: If using frozen shrimp, thaw completely and pat very dry before cooking.
Storage: Best served right away. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days and reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water.