Creamy Lemon Pasta with Sumac Shrimp
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This is one of those perfect in between seasons dinners that checks all the boxes. It’s cozy, creamy, bright, lemony and full of flavour. And it’s ideal for this season in particular when the weather is a bit unpredictable. The pasta is tossed in a creamy lemony sauce that coats every inch. And the shrimp gets tossed in sumac which adds a further bright and citrusy note. Oh, and the whole thing takes about 30 minutes. This creamy lemon pasta with shrimp is my idea of fast food.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this creamy lemon pasta with shrimp at home.
- shrimp
- sumac
- extra virgin olive oil
- tagliatelle pasta
- unsalted butter
- garlic
- Aleppo pepper flakes
- heavy cream
- lemon
- parmesan (freshly grated)
- chives
How to Make This Creamy Lemon Pasta with Shrimp
Pat the shrimp dry and place in a bowl and toss with sumac, salt and pepper and oil.
Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the shrimp (with a small drizzle more oil if needed) and cook for one to two minutes, flip and cook for one minute more, until cooked through. Remove and set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve the water for later.
Meanwhile, in the same skillet used to cook the shrimp, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring often. Add the Aleppo pepper flakes and cook for an additional 30 seconds to one minute, until everything is fragrant.
Pour in the cream and bring to a gentle simmer, reducing the heat as needed. Squeeze in the lemon juice and add the zest.
Working in batches, add handfuls of parmesan to the cream, whisking to incorporate until all is added. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and add the pasta, pasta water and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss everything together until the pasta is nicely coated.
Stir in the shrimp.
Divide the pasta into bowls or plates and top with the chives. Add a pinch more of the Aleppo pepper flakes and more lemon zest, and flaky salt (if needed). Enjoy!
Tips
- Pat the shrimp dry: in order to get a nice sear on the shrimp, be sure to pat them dry very well before tossing with oil and seasoning.
- Undercook the pasta: because you’ll be tossing the pasta with the cream sauce and heating it back up, it’s important to undercook the pasta slightly. I like to cook for one minute less than what the package states for al dente. This ensures your pasta won’t get overcooked by the time it hits your plate.
- Add the parmesan in batches: this allows for a smooth sauce.
- Use more pasta water than you think: creamy sauces really do thicken quite a bit, so when tossing the pasta with the cream sauce, add more water than you think may be necessary. This makes for a truly creamier sauce.
- Keep extra pasta water for leftovers: like any pasta that sits (but even more so with a cream sauce), it will soak up more of the sauce, so keep extra pasta water in a jar to add to the pasta if you’ll have leftovers. When you reheat it, add a splash more water.
Substitutions
- Tagliatelle pasta: feel free to use another type of pasta. My recommendation would be for any of the following: pappardelle, linguine, bucatini, spaghetti or rigatoni.
- Heavy cream: I do recommend using heavy whipping cream (35%), but if you really want to make this with a lighter cream, I think it could be done.
- Sumac: the sumac is fairly essential for adding even more brightness and citrusy notes, but if you don’t have it, you can omit. There isn’t really a substitution for it.
- Aleppo pepper flakes: omit, or use red pepper flakes. Red pepper flakes will provide more heat than Aleppo, so use to taste.
Ingredients & Products I Recommend
Kosher salt: I exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt for all of my recipes. I prefer the texture, taste and consistency of this brand and highly recommend it for everyday cooking.
Aleppo pepper: I love using Aleppo pepper in recipes because the flavour isn’t too strong or spicy. It’s one of my most used spices and I highly recommend it.
Sumac: the perfect citrusy, tart and tangy spice that I love using in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern recipes.
Made-In Cookware: I absolutely adore my Made-In cookware, including the skillets, wok and saucier (which I use ALL the time and for this pasta). I’ve purchased these products on my own and have been using them over the past few years. They’re well made and built to last and can easily be used on the stovetop and in the oven up to 800F. Used in commercial kitchens and restaurants, there is a reason why these are so popular and well loved.
This recipe was slightly adapted from the always amazing pasta queen – the burnt butter table.
I hope you love this creamy lemon pasta with shrimp. If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating below. I love hearing from you! Enjoy 🙂
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Creamy Lemon Pasta with Sumac Shrimp
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Boiling, Sautéing, stovetop
- Cuisine: italian american
- Diet: Pescatarian
Description
This easy 30-minute creamy lemon pasta with sumac shrimp is bright, cozy and so delicious. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or for special occasions.
Ingredients
- 8 oz shrimp (deveined)* see note
- 1/2 tsp sumac
- kosher salt & black pepper, to taste
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 220g tagliatelle pasta (dry)
- 2 tbsps unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes* see note
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 small lemon, zested & juiced
- 30g parmesan (freshly grated, about 1 cup loosely packed)
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup reserved pasta water* see note
- finely chopped chives, for garnish
Instructions
- Pat the shrimp dry and place in a bowl and toss with sumac, salt and pepper and oil.
- Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the shrimp (with a small drizzle more oil if needed) and cook for one to two minutes, flip and cook for one minute more, until cooked through. Remove and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until just before al dente. Reserve the water for later!
- Meanwhile, in the same skillet used to cook the shrimp, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring often. Add the Aleppo pepper flakes and cook for an additional 30 seconds to one minute, until everything is fragrant.
- Pour in the cream and bring to a gentle simmer, reducing the heat as needed. Squeeze in the lemon juice and add the zest.
- Working in batches, add handfuls of parmesan to the cream, whisking to incorporate until all is added. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and add the pasta, pasta water (start with 1/2 cup and add more as needed* see note) and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss everything together until the pasta is nicely coated. Stir in the shrimp.
- Divide the pasta into bowls or plates and top with the chives. Add a pinch more of the Aleppo pepper flakes and more lemon zest, and flaky salt (if needed). Enjoy!
Notes
Shrimp: I use shrimp size 21/25. If using frozen, thaw completely and be sure to pat them very dry before cooking. This will help to get a better sear. I choose to leave the tail on for presentation, but feel free to remove before cooking if you prefer.
Aleppo pepper flakes: optional, but I love them. Feel free to use red pepper flakes instead, although that will have more heat.
Pasta water: pasta water helps to emulsify the sauce and especially with a cream sauce, which thickens quite a bit as soon as it sits. Use more than you think to get it very creamy in the skillet when tossing because as soon as it gets plated, it thickens.
