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.