Get a delicious one-pot family dinner on the table quickly with this healthy lemon garlic parmesan shrimp pasta. This flavourful shrimp spaghetti recipe is made with olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes and baby spinach for a fresh and tasty dish that’s ready to serve in less than 30 minutes! {Gluten-free-friendly}
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Lemon Garlic Parmesan Shrimp Pasta
If you’re looking for fast and easy dinner ideas (who isn’t?!), then you’ll definitely want to try out this lemon garlic shrimp pasta. I don’t know about you, but as a busy mom, I’m all for healthy one pot dinners that can be whipped together in record time.
With this simple shrimp spaghetti recipe, it’s totally possible. It can be prepared in less than 30 minutes and tastes just like a dish you’d get at a restaurant, with a healthier twist!
The lemon, garlic, parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes infuse so much flavour into the pasta, while the spinach is a great way to incorporate some leafy greens. This pasta does have a bit of a kick to it, thanks to the chili flakes, but you can easily adjust it to suit your personal tastes.
Next time you’re wondering what to make for dinner, mix up your pasta night with this delicious meal. It’s definitely a keeper!
For more easy shrimp recipes, be sure to try my Shrimp Noodle Stir Fry and Spicy Shrimp Tacos too!
Why we love this lemon spaghetti with shrimp
- One pot: This dinner is all cooked in one pot on the stovetop, so the preparation and clean up is a breeze!
- Family-friendly: This pasta is the perfect family dinner for both kids and adults! When serving it to the kids, I like to remove the tails from the shrimp and cut up the shrimp, spaghetti, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes to make it easier for them to eat.
- Quick and easy: This parmesan shrimp pasta is a great option for a weeknight meal after a long day. Ready to serve in about 20 minutes, it’s simple to make and always gets devoured!
Ingredient notes
- Spaghetti: I like to use whole-grain spaghetti for this recipe or fibre-enriched spaghetti noodles such as Smart pasta for an extra kick of fibre and nutrients if your family isn’t a fan of whole-grain pasta. You can also use gluten-free pasta if you require the recipe to be gluten-free.
- Oil: Extra-virgin olive oil adds a wonderful rich flavour to this dish. If you don’t enjoy the flavour of extra-virgin olive oil, you can use light for a milder taste.
- Garlic: Use freshly chopped garlic for the best flavour.
- Seasonings: Red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, fresh parsley, and salt and pepper are used to incorporate even more flavour into this dish.
- Shrimp: I like to use deveined, peeled, and cooked medium shrimp for this recipe for the most convenient option. You can also use raw shrimp, but you may need to increase the cooking time slightly.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: These add a wonderful burst of rich flavour and colour, and are an absolute must for this dish. Use pre-sliced sun-dried tomatoes for a more convenient option.
- Spinach: Fresh baby spinach is cooked and combined with the pasta for some extra goodness. You can also use frozen spinach if you don’t have fresh.
- Parmesan: Use freshly grated parmesan for the best flavour and texture.
- Lemon juice: This adds a nice bright tang. Add more to taste if desired.
How to make shrimp and spaghetti – step by step instructions
- Bring a large pot or skillet of water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta and set aside in a bowl.
- Using the same pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp start to turn opaque, about 2 minutes.
- Add Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach and cook until spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes.
- Add the pasta back to the pot, with the remaining olive oil, parmesan, and parsley. Stir until mixed and remove from heat.
- Add the lemon juice before serving and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Keep scrolling for the full recipe for shrimp spaghetti!
Recipe Tips for the best shrimp pasta:
- To make this recipe go as quickly as possible, prepare all of the ingredients while you’re waiting for the water to boil and pasta to cook. That way, you just have to quickly cook everything up and toss it all together!
- Be sure that you don’t overcook the shrimp or it will turn out tough and rubbery. It should be cooked until it just turns opaque. Also, be sure not to overcook the pasta as it may become too soft and mushy. It should be cooked until al dente so that it’s tender, but still slightly firm.
- You can either remove the tails from the shrimp before cooking them or leave them on. We typically leave them on and remove them during meal time, although I do remove them for the kids and cut the shrimp up before serving.
- I like to break the spaghetti noodles in half before boiling them to make it easier to stir all of the ingredients together in the pot. It also makes them easier to eat!
- Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes according to personal taste. I generally add ¼ teaspoon to keep it more mild for the kids, but ½ a teaspoon adds a nice kick.
How to Store
This lemon garlic shrimp pasta can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three to four days.
How to reheat:
Reheat the shrimp spaghetti over medium heat on the stovetop until warmed through. You may wish to add a tablespoon or two of water to loosen it back up again.
Recipe FAQs
You can freeze this pasta, but if you plan on doing that, your spaghetti should be cooked al dente so that it doesn’t get overcooked when you reheat it for best results. It will keep well frozen for up to 3 months and should be thawed in the fridge before reheating.
It has a bit of a kick to it, but it’s not overly spicy. I typically add 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to keep it kid-friendly, but you can add 1/2 teaspoon (or more) if you prefer a bit more heat.
Not all shrimp pastas are created equally but this recipe is definitely a healthier option! This pasta is made with whole-grain spaghetti rather than white pasta, so it’s rich in fibre, iron and B-vitamins. The olive oil and shrimp provide heart-healthy fats and protein, while the spinach adds a dose of vitamin A, K, iron, folate and potassium for a delicious well-balanced meal.
Frozen cooked shrimp can be added straight to the pot and warmed through before adding the other ingredients. Because they’re already cooked, you don’t need to reheat them to a specific temperature.
Serving suggestions
If you’re wondering what to serve with shrimp spaghetti, here are some suggestions!
It tastes great served along with:
- Healthy Caesar Salad
- Tossed Green Salad
- Spring Mix Salad
- Sauteed Green Beans
- Asparagus & Tomato Salad
- Oven Roasted Broccoli
- Garlic Bread
Recipe variations
- To make gluten-free: Use gluten-free spaghetti noodles.
- To make lower carb: Use zucchini noodles or “zoodles” instead of spaghetti noodles.
- Different protein: The shrimp can be swapped for chicken. Just brown it in the pan before adding the other ingredients.
- Switch up the pasta: I love this dish with long pasta like spaghetti or linguine, but short pastas like penne or fusilli will work well too.
- Add in some other veggies: Saute some mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini or onions to add in for even more veggies!
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Chili Lime Shrimp
- Creamy Coconut Shrimp
- Thai Shrimp Curry Soup
- Baked Parmesan Crusted Cod
- Healthy Lemon Sauce for Fish
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a rating and review!
Lemon Garlic Parmesan Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces whole-grain uncooked spaghetti
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 1/4 pounds medium shrimp peeled, cooked, and deveined
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
- 6 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped (plus more to garnish)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or more to taste)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Using the same pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp start to turn opaque, about 2 minutes.
- Add Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach, and cook until spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes.
- Add the pasta back to the pot, with the remaining olive oil, parmesan, and parsley. Stir until everything is evenly distributed. Remove from heat.
- Add the lemon juice before serving and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Video
Notes
- To make this recipe go as quickly as possible, prepare all of the ingredients while you’re waiting for the water to boil and pasta to cook. That way, you just quickly cook everything up and toss it all together!
- Be sure that you don’t overcook the shrimp or it will turn out tough and rubbery. It should be cooked until it just turns pink. Also, be sure not to overcook the pasta as it may become too soft and mushy. It should be cooked until al dente so that it’s tender, but still slightly firm.
- You can either remove the tails from the shrimp before cooking them or just leave them on. We typically leave them on and remove them during meal time.
- I like to break the spaghetti noodles in half before boiling them to make it easier to stir all of the ingredients together in the pot. It also makes them easier to eat!
- Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes according to personal taste. I generally add ¼ teaspoon to keep it more mild for the kids, but ½ a teaspoon adds a nice kick.
This is such an amazing recipe! Loved it! The blend of spices and garlic was so good on the shrimp and so easy to make! Thanks Elysia!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! This one is always a favourite in our house too! Thanks so much for returning to leave a review :)