Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta
This shrimp pasta is one of the most impressive seafood dishes I've had! It is rich in flavor, bright and lemony, and full of garlic, a beautiful shrimp stock made simply of white wine and the shrimp shells. Everything is tossed with pasta, pasta water to help create a starchy consistency for the sauce, and lots of Parmigiano Reggiano!
Servings 4
Calories
Ingredients
- 18-20 shell-on jumbo shrimp
For the sauce
- 1 1/4 cup dry white wine, I used Pinot Grigio
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 8-10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 4 Tablespoons cold salted butter
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 Tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for serving
- salt to taste
For the brine
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 2 Tablespoon sugar
The pasta
- 1 lb dry pasta I like tagliatelle, pappardelle, linguine, or angel hair
- 1 1/2 cups pasta water, see notes
Instructions
- Remove the shrimp shells and tails: Remove the shrimp shells and tails from the shrimp and reserve them for the stock in a seperate bowl.
- Devein the shrimp. Use a pairing knife to slice down the back of the shrimp, and use your knife to remove the vein down the back or wipe with a paper towel.
- Brine the shrimp. While you're slicing and cleaning the shrimp, add them to a bowl of ice-cold water mixed with one tablespoon of salt and two tablespoons of sugar. Once finished, place the bowl of shrimp and brine in the fridge to chill.
- Make the shrimp stock. First, heat the shrimp shells in a large saucepan with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and saute for about 1-2 minutes. Then, remove the pan from the heat, slowly add the wine, and stir, then add it back to the heat and cover. Let the shells and wine simmer gently for about 4-5 minutes. Set a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl, strain the shells, and reserve the wine.
- Sauté the garlic. In the same pan you cooked the stock, carefully wipe out any grit from the shells on the bottom. Then heat the pan on low with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the sliced garlic and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, then add the red pepper flakes for the last 30 seconds.
- Make the sauce. Next, add the shrimp stock, lemon juice, black pepper, and a healthy pinch of salt. Slowly add the butter one tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly as it melts.
- Cook the shrimp in the sauce. Using tongs, remove the shrimp from the brine (no need to pat them dry) just shake off any excess water and transfer them to the sauce. Cover and let them cook for 4-5 minutes if they're jumbo shrimp or 2-3 minutes for smaller shrimp. Then, add the fresh parsley at the end. Note: you'll know the shrimp is cooked once it turns an opaque color.
- Serve with pasta. While the shrimp cooks, cook the pasta in a pot of well-salted water, just shy of "al dente," according to the package. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water before draining the pasta. Add the pasta to the pan with the shrimp and the sauce, and toss together. Sprinkle in 1/2 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano and a splash of pasta water, and toss together. Then repeat with the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano and additional pasta water as needed until the pasta and shrimp come together in a creamy, luscious sauce. Serve immediately with more fresh parsley if desired and Parmigiano Reggiano!