This Garlic Parmesan Shrimp Spaghetti is so easy to make and comes together really quickly. This shrimp spaghetti comes together in less than 30 minutes and is packed with flavor. Be prepared to have your kids asking for seconds!
I love a simple easy dinner and this shrimp spaghetti is perfect if you’re short on time and need to whip up a meal fast! It’s a favorite as my kids always eat every last bite without any complaints. If you’ve got some shrimp in your freezer then this is the recipe to make for dinner tonight!
If you are looking for more pasta recipes, why not also try my Jalapeño Mac and Cheese or my Creamy Red Pepper Pasta! They’re super quick to make and can be easily made with pantry staples.
Why You’ll Love This Pasta Recipe
- Quick cooking protein: I love making shrimp spaghetti because the shrimp cooks up so quickly. It’s perfect for last minute meals!
- Simple recipe: If you’re a looking for a beginner friendly recipe then this is it! This shrimp pasta is so easy to make and the instructions are straightforward.
- Kid-friendly: I love sharing kid-friendly recipes that adults love as well. This pasta with shrimp has the seal of approval from my kiddos.
What You’ll Need
- Spaghetti — you can also use angel hair pasta, linguine, or fettuccini if you prefer.
- Shrimp — deveined, peeled, tail off
- Black pepper
- Pepper flakes
- Onion powder
- Salt
- Lemon juice — freshly squeezed
- Paprika
- Pasta water — preserved from pasta
- Butter — unsalted to avoid making this recipe too salty
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Fresh parsley — chopped
- Parmesan cheese — grated
How To Make Garlic Parmesan Shrimp Spaghetti
- Cook the pasta: cook according to package directions. Reserve around 1 cup of pasta water.
- Marinate the shrimp: marinate with lemon juice, paprika, onion powder, black pepper, salt, pepper flakes (optional).
- Cook the aromatics: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the olive oil. Add in the minced garlic. Sauté for 10-15 seconds until fragrant.
- Cook the shrimp: Add in the raw shrimp and cook for 5-7 minutes until browned, flipping the pieces of shrimp occasionally to cook on both sides.
- Deglaze the pan and combine: Add in the pasta water and mix to deglaze the pan. Then add in the cooked pasta, grated parmesan cheese and toss together to evenly coat the pasta. Add in the fresh parsley and mix. Cover and cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes then remove from heat.
- Garnish: garnish with some fresh parsley and freshly grated parmesan cheese, pepper flakes (optional) and serve to enjoy.
Tips and Notes
- You can purchase shrimp with their tails removed and deveined to save yourself time!
- I recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice as you get way better flavor from it. It’s brighter and lighter than bottled preserved lemon juice.
- Make this spicier with a splash of hot sauce to the pan sauce.
- Shrimp is cooked once it turns opaque. Do not let the shrimp overcook or it will be rubber-like in texture.
- Want to add more flavor? Add in some fresh herbs. Basil is a great addition to the dish.
- Got shrimp that are frozen in your freezer? Thaw it quickly by adding the bag of shrimp by placing it in cold running water. The shrimp should thaw in 30 minutes.
FAQs
Be sure to place any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. If you’re making this shrimp pasta ahead of time, you can make it 3 days or so ahead of time. When reheating, use a pan and add a splash of liquid to loosen up the pasta before stirring until warmed through. You don’t want to accidentally overcook the shrimp so be careful.
I like to change things up by adding some greens like spinach, broccoli, or kale to the pasta. Just add a handful at the end and let the greens cook through as you stir so you can sneak in an extra serving of vegetables!
You can make this dish into a creamy shrimp pasta dish by adding in a little bit of heavy cream. You may also use cream cheese instead of heavy cream. This recipe is super versatile and you can play around with it without worry.
Feel free to use fresh or frozen shrimp. The size of the shrimp it up to you. As I mentioned earlier, deveined and tail-off shrimp makes prep time for this shrimp spaghetti even shorter.
Want More Delicious Pasta Recipes?
- Creamy Broccoli Mac N’ Cheese
- Easy Cajun Mac and Cheese with Chicken
- One Pot Whole Wheat Macaroni and Cheese
- Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken Pasta
I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you, including this delicious Garlic Parmesan Shrimp Spaghetti recipe. I hope you try it, enjoy it, rate it, and share it with your friends and family!
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Garlic Parmesan Shrimp Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 8 oz. spaghetti uncooked
- 1.5 lbs. raw shrimp deveined, peeled, tail off
- ½ tsp. black pepper or more to taste
- ½ tsp. pepper flakes or more, optional
- ¾ tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. salt or more to paste
- 2 tbsps. lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 cup pasta water preserved from pasta
- 3 tbsps. butter unsalted
- 2 tbsps. olive oil
- 2 tbsps. fresh garlic minced, about 4 large cloves
- 1 tbsp. fresh parsley chopped
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
- More chopped parsley for garnishing
- Fresh grated parmesan cheese for garnishing
- Pepper flakes optional, for garnishing.
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Preserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- Marinate the shrimp with the lemon juice, paprika, onion powder, black pepper, salt, pepper flakes (optional) .
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the olive oil. Add in the minced garlic. Sauté for 10-15 seconds until fragrant.
- Add in the raw shrimp and cook for 5-7 minutes until browned, flipping the pieces of shrimp occasionally to cook on both sides.
- Add in the pasta water and mix to deglaze the pan. Then add in the cooked pasta, grated parmesan cheese and toss together to evenly coat the pasta. Add in the fresh parsley and mix. Cover and cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes then remove from heat.
- Garnish with some fresh parsley and freshly grated parmesan cheese, pepper flakes (optional) and serve to enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Use more parmesan cheese if you like.
- You can purchase shrimp with their tails removed and deveined to save yourself time!
- I recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice as you get way better flavor from it. It’s brighter and lighter than bottled preserved lemon juice.
- Make this spicier with a splash of hot sauce to the pan sauce.
- Shrimp is cooked once it turns opaque. Do not let the shrimp overcook or it will be rubber-like in texture.
- Want to add more flavor? Add in some fresh herbs. Basil is a great addition to the dish.
- Got shrimp that are frozen in your freezer? Thaw it quickly by adding the bag of shrimp by placing it in cold running water. The shrimp should thaw in 30 minutes.
I made this last night and it was delicious. The only mistake I made was using dried minced onion instead of a fresh one. But it was good and I would make it again.
Did I miss something? I don’t see onion as an ingredient.
Hi Trenda,
No, you didn’t miss anything. There are no onions but you can sure add some based on your preference.
Hi Joan!
Glad you enjoyed the recipe! It’s okay you can always use fresh ones next time if you prefer to add the onions. I love onions and only cook with fresh ones. If you have a minute please leave a star rating on the recipe card.
I made this but mine was dry. Should I add more or less of something. I think I may have had too many noodles. Is it supposed to be a dry type of pasta?
Hi Melissa,
Yes this is more of a non-creamy pasta. You can always add 1 cup of heavy cream with more parmesan cheese to make it a little creamy.
Thank you!
Hi, small or medium shrimp?
Hi Zoha,
Any size you want. Just add more in if you use small because they shrink. I usually use large or jumbo shrimp for all my recipes.
Thank you!
Just tried this being I had left over spaghetti noodles. Perfect. I put some cayenne as well as pepper flakes. Got heat!! So tasty! Thank you for sharing!!!
Hi Katherine!
Glad you enjoyed the dish. Thank you for sharing your review!
My son and husband love this meal
Hi Sylvia,
So glad to hear your family enjoyed it. Thanks for leaving a review.
I’ve tried this twice now and both times my family absolutely loved it! I actually wanna try this recipe but with chicken now for a different spin.
Hi Hafsa,
Glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks so much for leaving a review.
Hi Mima,
I tried this last night and it was super awesome (pic in URL).
Didnt have onion powder so i replaced it with garlic powder.
But still it was super.
Thank you so much.
Have a great weekend
Hi Akash!
Glad you enjoyed the recipe. You can always replace onion powder with a little bit of minced onion. Just sauté it first so that it’s tender.