20 minutes or less is all it takes to make this bright garlic shrimp pasta recipe! Prepared Mediterranean-style and tossed in a light sauce with garlic, onions, white wine, and lemon juice. Add your favorite salad to start! Tips and video below.
Shrimp pasta, Mediterranean-style!
We’re pasta lovers around here, but there is a reason this one is top of my family’s list (along with pasta primavera and this olive oil pasta)!
Shrimp and pasta are a match made in heaven! I’ll often serve my shrimp scampi over angel hair pasta. But this time, I tossed the shrimp in a a light Mediterranean sauce–with garlic, fresh tomatoes, white wine, and lemon juice. It is next level delicious.
This garlic shrimp pasta recipe is like fine dining in the comfort of your own home. Best part, you can make it in 20 minutes or less!
Time-Saving Tip: Get your pasta cooking, and while that’s happening, go ahead and cook your shrimp and prepare the sauce.
What kind of pasta to use?
Yes, the kind of pasta matters! Long, round pastas like spaghetti or angle hair pasta work really with with our light garlic lemon and wine sauce. Thinner pasta provides a beautiful delicate presentation and allows the elements of this shrimp pasta recipe to shine!
I don’t recommend using tube-shaped pasta (like penne or rigatoni) in this recipe; they’re better suited for thick sauces like ragu.
And if you’re following a strict Mediterranean diet, use whole grain pasta.
How do you cook shrimp for pasta?
Because shrimp cooks quickly, I find it best to cook it separately and then add it to the pasta a few seconds before serving.
In this shrimp and pasta recipe, I simply cook the shrimp in my pan with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil. Depending on the size of the shrimp, this will take about 4 to 5 minutes in total.
How do you know when shrimp is done? It’s really easy to tell. Raw shrimp is grey and flappy, but you can tell it’s cooked when it turns a pearly pink color. Avoid over-cooking the shrimp, and remember that you’ll add them to the pasta for a few more seconds to warm up before serving.
How to make shrimp pasta?
(This is the step-by-step for those who need a visual. The recipe with ingredient measurements is just below)
- Cook the pasta. Get the pasta cooking in boiling water according to package. Remember to add salt. Save a bit of the starchy pasta water before draining.
- Cook the shrimp. Do this while the pasta is cooking to save time. My shrimp took about 4 minutes, cooked in a bit of extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. (If your shrimp is frozen, it should be properly thawed before cooking)
- Make the sauce. Remove the shrimp so you can us the same pan. Cook the onions and garlic with a bit of kosher salt, oregano and red pepper flakes (I used Aleppo-style pepper). Cook over medium/medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine and allow it to cook for a minute then add the lemon zest and lemon juice.
- Parsley and tomatoes join the party for just a few seconds (30 to 40 seconds or so). You want the tomatoes to still have a good bite.
- Put it all together. Mix in the pasta, and if you need to, add a bit of pasta water. Toss to be sure the pasta is well-coated. Add the cooked shrimp and toss until warmed through.
- To finish, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, more red pepper flakes and parsley to your liking
I like to add a big salad to start. Panzanella (when tomatoes are in season), or this white bean salad for a hearty option.
Make ahead & Storage
- To make this recipe ahead: Cook the pasta and prepare the sauce one night in advance. Store them separately in the fridge in tight-lid containers. Cook the shrimp the next day just before serving. Warm the sauce and the pasta over medium heat, adding a bit of pasta water as needed. Add in the just-cooked shrimp and toss to combine.
- Storage: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2 nights (assuming the shrimp is fresh or had been properly stored in the freezer before cooking). Warm through over medium heat , adding a little bit if liquid if needed. I like to keep the shrimp out and add it in to warm through just before serving. This will avoid over-cooking the shrimp.
More pasta recipes
Sides and Small Plates
Toasted Orzo Pasta Recipe with Parmesan and Sun-dried Tomatoes
Italian
Easy Pasta alla Norma
Vegetarian
Garlic Mushroom Pasta Recipe
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Shrimp Pasta Recipe, Mediterranean-Style
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb thin spaghetti
- Kosher salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb large shrimp peeled and deveined (thawed if frozen)
- Black pepper
- ½ red onion chopped
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes)
- 1 cup dry white wine I used Pinot Grigio
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- Large handful chopped fresh parsley about 1 cup packed
- 2 to 3 vine ripe tomatoes chopped
- Parmesan cheese to your liking.
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package (about 9 minutes). Reserve a little bit of the starchy pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta well.
- While the pasta is cooking, cook the shrimp. In a large pan heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering but not smoking. Cook the shrimp on each side for 2 to 3 minutes until it turns pink. Transfer the shrimp to a side plate for now.
- In the same pan add a little more extra virgin olive oil, if needed. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the onions, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes (I used Aleppo-style pepper). Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine to the pan and scrape up any pieces of garlic and onions. Cook the wine for 1 minute to reduce then add the lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Add the chopped parsley and tomatoes, toss about for about 30 to 40 seconds. Season with Kosher salt.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan, and toss to coat. Add some of the pasta starchy water if you need to.
- Finally, add the cooked shrimp. Allow the shrimp to warm through briefly (another 30 seconds), then remove the pasta from heat.
- To finish, sprinkle a little grated parmesan cheese and more red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper. Serve immediately!
Video
Notes
- To make this recipe ahead: Cook the pasta and prepare the sauce one night in advance. Store them separately in the fridge in tight-lid containers. Don’t cook the shrimp until just before serving. Warm the sauce and the pasta over medium heat, adding a bit of pasta water as needed. Add the cooked shrimp and follow the recipe.
- Storage: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2 nights.
- Visit our Shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including extra virgin olive oil and all-natural and organic spices.
Made this last night and loved it! I plan to reheat the leftovers tonight. Any recommendations for a liquid to add so it’s not dry with the reheating?
Hi, Catherine! I’m Summer from The Mediterranean Dish. If you reserved any pasta water I would just use a little bit of that, if not, I would just use about a 1/4 cup of regular water and toss with a little more extra virgin olive oil. So glad you loved the recipe!
Thanks!
My family loved this! Only critique we had was, a half teaspoon of red pepper flakes makes it to spicy; 1/4 teaspoon is perfect. And I had some fennel in the frig and it really took this dish to another level!
Thanks so much, Romona!
❤️ love it
Made this for my sisters last night and it was a huge hit! I loved that it was simple and fast…but even better is waas delicious! Thank you!
With a couple of tweaks we loved it. I added some red bell pepper, cut back on the salt for health reasons and added a good salt free herb blend. The red pepper flakes, lemon and hint of wine all made for a nice sauce. I added some of the pasta water and it thickened the sauce a bit. Used whole wheat spaghetti. Will definitely make again.
Yay! Thanks for sharing your adaptations here, Judy!
Seemed like way too much wine. Which is not something I have ever said. 😂 but I’m wondering if I did something wrong. It took forever to reduce which essentially boiled my other ingredients.
Lacked flavor. After making this, what gives it some flavor? Really nothing.
Absolutely delicious! So flavorful. I used whole wheat spaghetti and added mushrooms with the onions. Will definitely make again! We loved it!
Delicious! Only changes were I added spinach because it was in the fridge waiting to be used and I used calabrian chili pepper paste instead of pepper flakes.
The lemon was awesome in this. All the flavors melded beautifully . I thought there would be leftovers for lunch…not a bite was left! Great recipe.
Thanks for the great review, Fran!!
Learning how to cook without dairy and this a fab recipe. Hubby liked it too! This far North our parsley is only stubs so we had to use dried but that is the only change I mad. This will be great for company once all my fresh herbs are on the go in the summer. Thanks! PS I love your cookbook as well.
Also I did reduce the wine to about 1/2 before adding in the lemon/zest.
Thanks, Wren! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I just made this. The sauce was delicious. I used your Aleppo pepper flakes which had a very nice taste. My question is about the shrimp. I’ve been making shrimp seasoning it first with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. I was hesitant to do the same thing with this recipe. Do you think the smoked paprika would conflict with the taste of the sauce (which is fabulous)? I felt the shrimp was a bit tasteless, so I’m wondering how I can best season it. Thanks
Hi, Dale. Adding smoked paprika here will change the flavor profile here just a bit, of course… but I don’t think in a bad way. I say, give it a try!
Delish!! Even my “meat and potatoes” husband likes it 🙂 We’re trying to eat healthier and are incorporating the Mediterranean style into our meals. This one will be a great addition!
How could I add more flavor to this dish?
Hi, Shay. You can always increase the amounts of the seasonings used in the recipe. Another reader added some chopped bell peppers and cherry tomatoes to add more flavor, so you could also give that a try.
My family loved this! I made homemade whole wheat spaghetti for the recipe. I would change a couple of things though—1 cup of wine seemed to make the sauce too soupy. I had to cook it down for quite a bit longer than the recipe. I also didn’t think the lemon juice added anything. The lemon zest is a nice touch though.
I hate to be the different one here but, I wasnt really happy with the end result. Not much flavor. I was expecting the lovely robust flavors of your recipes. This was the first recipe we were disappointed with. Not all my recipes are perfect either, lol
I will try more of the shrimp dishes and looking forward to the Greek Codfish, Looks delish!
My husband’s first words when he took his first bite were “Wow, this is fabulous!” He told me at least three more times how good this recipe is! Every recipe you publish that I have tried has been fantastic and a keeper.
I am the one who started a Mediterrean/non-GMO diet 9 months ago and feel so much better. My carnivor husband has also embraced it which I am so grateful for.
Thank you for your website, your recipes, your notes, etc. I am very grateful.
I made the recipe with only one change. I didn’t have parsley but did have some fresh baby spinach that needed to be used. I cooked it first and then squeezed all the water out. It worked out so well and gave us more iron!
We love hearing this, Loran! And thank you for sharing your wonderful review! I’m so glad the recipe was such a hit!
My family who is hard to please loved this recipe and so did I. It was a long hard day at work and I wasn’t sure if I could get dinner cooked. My husband always says “This is one for the books”. Thank you!!!
Yesss! That’s so great to hear. Thanks, Michelle!