Shrimp Spaghetti
Updated Apr 19, 2026
This lemon garlic shrimp pasta uses butter, parmesan, and pasta water to build a quick pan sauce. Simple ingredients, one skillet, done in under 30 minutes.
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Shrimp Spaghetti is soo good!
I have genuinely no self-control when it comes to shrimp spaghetti. I make it thinking I’ll have leftovers and then just don’t. Something about the garlic butter and lemon clinging to the noodles makes it really hard to stop, and since it’s done in like 25 minutes, I never even have time to talk myself out of a second bowl.
This lemon-garlic butter shrimp pasta is made in one skillet, and the fact that it’s done after the pasta drains is part of why I keep coming back to it. The shrimp goes in first and cooks super fast, then gets set aside while the sauce comes together in the same pan with the rest of the butter, garlic, parmesan, and a splash of the reserved pasta water. That last part is the one step people skip and then wonder why the sauce isn’t really sticking to anything. Save the pasta water every time.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Shrimp Spaghetti Ingredients
- Pasta: Cook it in well-salted water and reserve a full cup of the pasta water before you drain it. That’s what builds the sauce, so don’t skip that step. Linguine, fettuccine, or angel hair all work here if that’s what you have. If you use angel hair, pull it off the heat early since it cooks much faster.
- Shrimp: Large shrimp, peeled and deveined. Pat them completely dry before they go in the pan, or they will steam instead of sear. Frozen shrimp works fine here, just thaw it fully first and dry it well. The shrimp cooks fast, about 2 to 3 minutes per side, so have everything else ready before it hits the pan.
- Shrimp spaghetti sauce base: Butter, garlic, parmesan, lemon juice, and the reserved pasta water. Use freshly grated parmesan if you can. The pre-shredded kind does not melt as cleanly and can make the sauce grainy. Add the pasta water a little at a time while tossing so it emulsifies into the sauce rather than making it watery.
- Seasoning: Salt and crushed red pepper. The red pepper adds a little heat without making the dish spicy. If you want it milder, cut it back to ¼ teaspoon. If you want more heat, a full teaspoon works.
- For serving: Freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley and lemon wedges on the side.
How to Make Shrimp Spaghetti
Recipe Video Tutorial
Shrimp Spaghetti Recipe
Easy shrimp spaghetti with garlic, butter, lemon, and parmesan. The sauce comes together in one pan using reserved pasta water. Ready in about 25 minutes.
Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled deveined
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 chopped parsley
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to package instructions; drain well and reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt two tablespoons butter. Add shrimp, salt and crushed red pepper, and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until shrimp is opaque pink. Remove from heat and set aside on a plate.
- Lower the heat to medium, and in the same skillet, add the remaining butter and garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add the parmesan cheese, lemon and pasta water and stir to combine to create a sauce.
- Transfer the spaghetti to the skillet and toss with the sauce. Add the shrimp on top and toss to combine.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Equipment
Notes
My Top Tip: Be careful not to overcook your shrimp. They only need a few minutes in the pan, and if you overcook them they’ll get chewy. Cook your shrimp just until they’re opaque pink in color.
Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to eat, reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
Nutrition
Calories: 440kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 218mg, Sodium: 545mg, Potassium: 468mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 521IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 151mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
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Recipe Tips
- Cook your pasta al dente. You’ll be tossing your noodles with the warm sauce and shrimp after it’s done cooking, and you want to make sure it doesn’t get too soggy.
- Be careful not to overcook your shrimp. They only need a few minutes in the pan, and if you overcook them they’ll get chewy. Cook your shrimp just until they’re opaque pink in color.
- Do not walk away when the shrimp is cooking. It goes from done to rubbery very fast. As soon as the shrimp curl into a C shape and turn pink all the way through, pull them off the heat.
- Add the pasta water gradually. Pour it in a little at a time and toss as you go. If you add too much at once, the sauce gets watery before it has a chance to come together.
Serving Ideas
- Serve with salad. All great pasta dishes call for a fresh salad side! My go-tos are classic Caesar salad, Italian chopped salad, and a simple green salad.
- Pair with bread. I love sopping up all the lemon and parmesan juice at the bottom of this pasta dish with some bread. Try my herby skillet rolls, my garlic cheese bread, or my French bread.
- Make a veggie side. This pasta is plenty filling on its own, but to squeeze some veggies into a meal, I like to pair it with sauteed kale, roasted zucchini, or air fryer asparagus.
Comments
My husband and I LOVED this recipe! I made a few change as I didn’t have some of the ingredients:
1- I didnt have spaghetti noodles so used linguine noodles.
2- I didn’t have a lemon so I used bottled lemon juice. The bottle said 4 tbsp equaled the juice of one lemon.
3- I didn’t have fresh Parmesan so I used Monterey Jack.
4- I didn’t use pasta water for the sauce, I used half-n-half.
With all the substitutions, it was still delicious! I loved the flavor of lemon juice mixed with the other flavors. The sauce looked curtled, but tasted fine. I don’t know it that had to do with using a different cheese.
We give it a 10! Next time I make it I will use all the right ingredients and see if there’s much of a difference from the first time.
I’m so happy you both loved the recipe, Pausha! That curdled look was most likely from the half-and-half mixing with the lemon juice over heat, especially without the pasta water to help emulsify the sauce. The Monterey Jack may have also changed the texture a bit since it melts differently than Parmesan. I’m so glad it still tasted delicious though, and it’ll be fun to compare when you try it with the original ingredients next time!
It was great and easy to make — I wanted some spagetti without red sauce !! it was the perfect recipe
Love that you found this recipe, Sonia! So glad it worked perfectly for you!
Such a delicious meal!!! Highly recommend!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Izzy!
Can I use pre cooked shrimp with this recipe?
Hi Janet, if you want to use pre-cooked shrimp, or if that’s all you have, you can start the recipe at Step 3, and then toss the cooked spaghetti with the pre-cooked shrimp. I really recommend cooking it fresh, though, because it gets so much flavor from the butter, salt, and crushed red pepper!
I do this recipe on a regular basis and thouroughly enjoy it. Just to add a bit to it, I add very finely chopped onion on the second part and this gives a bit more body to the final result. A firm favourite here on Rhodes.
Love your tweak to the recipe, Larry. Sounds so good!
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