This Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta is a pasta dream come true! Featuring a decadent, creamy, lemony sauce along with perfectly cooked shrimp, this is the perfect weeknight dinner for a filling and delicious meal.
Prep Time: 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 25 minutesminutes
Total Time: 30 minutesminutes
Servings:4servings
Ingredients
12oznoodles of choice, penne and fettuccine work well with this sauce
12ozshrimp, tail removed and deveined
4tbspbutter
1yellow or white onion
2tbspminced garlic
2tspcrushed red pepper flakes
zest of one lemon + juice to taste
¾cuplow sodium chicken or vegetable broth
4ozlight cream cheese
⅓cupheavy cream or half & half
salt, to taste
cracked black pepper, to taste
chopped parsley, to serve
Instructions
Cook the noodles in salted water according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large frying pan or skillet over medium high heat. Once the butter is frothy, sauté the shrimp for 3-4 minutes until they turn pink. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl and set aside.
Turn the heat down to medium and add the onions. Fry for 6-8 minutes until soft and starting to color. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and lemon zest, and cook until the garlic is cooked and aromatic.
Add a generous splash of white wine to the pan, if using, and allow it to bubble away for a few minutes to cook off the alcohol. Add the broth and stir in the cream cheese. Keep stirring until it has melted into the sauce. Stir in the heavy cream or half & half, and season the sauce to taste with salt and cracked black pepper. Allow to simmer until it has thickened.
Drain the pasta, setting aside a little bit of cooking water. Stir the pasta into the sauce and continue to cook until the sauce has coated the pasta to the desired thickness. Add a little of the pasta cooking water if you want a thinner, glossier sauce.
Return the shrimp and their resting juices to the pan until just warmed through. Season the sauce with lemon juice to taste, and serve with chopped parsley, if desired.
Notes
1. Using half and half instead of heavy cream will make a lighter sauce. However, don’t try to make the sauce richer by using full fat cream cheese, this will make the sauce too thick and it will coat your mouth in an unpleasant way!