Spring is here! Smell ya later Old Man Winter. I’m so over you. I feel like everyone had a spring in their step today, the day was longer, and the city was a little happier. Didn’t you just feel like you had more time in your day? That being said, you probably want some quick weeknight meals so you can go out and enjoy what spring has to offer. I know I do.
This is a fresh and light pasta that is packed with garlic-y, fresh lemon-y flavour with just a touch of heat. It’s a flavour combination that’s delicious and goes great on just about anything, especially shrimp. This dish is easy and fast to whip up, and perfect for lunch or weeknight supper.
People always ask if I cook every single night. Honestly, sometimes I go from making full on dinners to scraping together random meals out of whatever is in the fridge, to pulling out stuff from the freezer. Of course, there’s always a little take out in the rotation and the occasional grilled cheese sandwich.
I feel like a well-stocked pantry is your weeknight best friend. We usually have frozen shrimp in the freezer and lemon, parsley, dried pasta, and garlic on hand. So this is really a pantry meal that’s comforting, fresh, and fast. Like maybe if you had this stuff handy in your kitchen, you could whip this up after the gym or even a long day at the office. Happy spring y’all.
P.S. – To see what I’m cooking/eating, follow me on Instagram.
Garlic Shrimp Pasta
INGREDIENTS
- 8 ounces dried gluten-free spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for drizzling)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
- zest of one lemon (about 1 teaspoon)
- 12 raw shrimp (peeled, de-veined and halved lengthwise)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley (chopped)
- Sea salt and black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package ingredients or until al dente. Drain and keep warm.
- Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan on medium heat. Add butter and oil. Once the butter is melted, add garlic, chili flakes and lemon zest and saute for 2 minutes.
- Add the shrimps and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimps just turn pink and are tender. Do not over cook. Remove pan from heat and add in pasta, lemon juice, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine and serve. Drizzle with additional olive oil if desired.
I struggle with gluten free pasta (that isn’t penne or a large ‘hearty’ noodle. Any brand or cooking instruction you recommend for spaghetti that is gluten free and doesn’t break apart into a starchy mess???
Hi Marcia, I used brown rice spaghetti from Rizopia for this post – I like this pasta a lot. I cooked it al dente and made sure to cook it in lots and lots of water. I hope this helps! http://www.rizopia.com/
This recipe looks amazing and your spaghetti noodles perfect (hence my question re: noodle choice/cooking suggestion).