Lemon-Parmesan Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp

04.19.2015

Three and half years later and I’m finally sharing a shrimp recipe! I have been blogging for quite some time now and I’ve never shared a shrimp recipe on here. I haven’t ever really cared for shrimp but I know a lot of you like it so I figured it was due time.

This pasta recipe was so delicious that it has finally changed my opinion on shrimp! I think key for me is that I can’t eat cold shrimp it needs to be warm, and I really liked what a bit of citrus did for it’s flavor. Then of course can you ever go wrong with parmesan and fresh herbs? They paired with it perfectly and gave it more Italian flair, as did the fair amount of garlic. This is a pasta dish after all.

This is a hearty pasta dinner that is easy to throw together yet it’s full of vibrant and delicious flavors. It’s definitely worthy of being added to your weeknight menu!

You can remove the tails before cooking if you’d like (which I will do next time I just left them for picture purposes this time, they add more color), it seems easier that way than having to remove each one individually while eating the pasta. And just be sure to top it with parmesan rather than tossing it into the pasta, trust me I learned the hard way. I tried tossing some in the with the angel hair and it quickly just clumped together in little gummy balls so I had to sit there and pick it out. I thought that might happen but I still tried any way, it was one of those yes that was dumb moments. Oh well, all that matters is how amazing it tasted in the end!

Lemon-Parmesan Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp

Yield: About 5 servings

Ingredients

1 1/4 lbs peeled and deveined shrimp
12 oz dry angel hair pasta
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan

Directions

Cook pasta in salted water according to directions listed on package (keep in mind it will only take about 4 minutes so I recommend adding the pasta to water when you begin cooking the shrimp), reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
In a large skillet, heat olive and butter over medium-high heat. Add shrimp (you can remove tails first if desired), season with salt and pepper and saute 2 minutes, then add garlic and saute until shrimp has cooked through, about 2 minutes longer.
Toss drained pasta in with shrimp along with 1/3 cup reserved pasta water, lemon zest and lemon juice. Add more water 1 Tbsp at a time as needed. Toss in 2 Tbsp of each parsley and basil, then sprinkle top with parmesan cheese and remaining 1 Tbsp of each parsley and basil. Serve warm.
Recipe source: Cooking Classy