Give your dinner routine a little zing! Our shrimp fettuccine with creamy lemon garlic sauce is full of bright and buttery flavor. Like shrimp fettuccine alfredo but better, it combines two simply delicious recipes -- lemon butter shrimp and pesto fettuccine -- in one easy meal. In just 30 minutes, this pasta recipe becomes the perfect flavor wake-up call for your weekly dinner menu.
Pair this with our easy, cheesy garlic rolls or copycat Lion House rolls. It's the perfect way to ensure you don't miss a drop of that delicious sauce!
Are you a lemon lover? Check out these 50 lemon recipes.
❤️ WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS SHRIMP FETTUCCINE
✔️ Just one skillet to clean up when you're done!
✔️ Delicious comfort food with the perfect balance of cream and herbs.
✔️ 19 grams of protein per serving.
✔️ Only 30 minutes from start to finish.
INGREDIENTS
You may have all of the ingredients for creamy lemon garlic shrimp fettuccine in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store. See recipe card below for ingredient amounts.
- Fettuccine: You can use fresh or dried fettuccine noodles. You can also substitute other long noodles if you don't have fettuccine.
- Olive oil
- Butter: We're using unsalted butter.
- Shrimp: We recommend using fresh shrimp for best results. If using frozen shrimp, thaw firsthand pat dry before cooking.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is best but you can used minced garlic in the jar.
- Red pepper flakes: This adds just a bit of heat but you can omit it if you prefer.
- Lemon: You'll need a fresh lemon for the juice and zest.
- Salt & pepper: Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
- Flour
- Chicken broth
- Heavy cream
- Pesto: You can use store-bought pesto or make your own with Stef's pesto recipe.
- Parmesan cheese: You can grate your own or purchase refrigerated, fresh-grated parmesan to save time.
INSTRUCTIONS
If you'd like to print this creamy shrimp fettuccine recipe, scroll down to the recipe card where you can print the recipe or have it scaled to double or triple. You'll also find nutrition information.
PREP: You can cook the pasta in the same pot as you'll make your shrimp fettuccine, or use a different pot to make things go a little quicker. Boil pasta in salted water until al dente (or tender). Measure and prepare ingredients while pasta is boiling.
COOK SHRIMP: Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. In a bowl, mix 3 minced garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Add shrimp and coat. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When the olive oil is hot, add 2 tablespoons of butter, melt. Add the shrimp to the hot pan. Cook and flip shrimp for approximately 4-5 minutes or just until shrimp are curled and cooked through. Remove shrimp and seasonings to a bowl. Set aside.
🔴 TIP: Shrimp are perfectly cooked when they are pink and curl into a letter C shape. Shrimp become tough when overcooked.
MAKE CREAM SAUCE: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the same pan. Add 3 minced garlic cloves and saute 30 seconds. Add the flour to make a roux and whisk together for 1 minute, then reduce heat to low. Slowly whisk in chicken broth, heavy cream and pesto. Continue whisking until the sauce is smooth. Turn heat to medium high. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Heat approximately 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened. Reduce heat to low. Add in lemon juice and Parmesan cheese until melted.
COMBINE: Add the shrimp with juices and pasta to the sauce. Stir until well coated in sauce. Season with additional salt, pepper to taste. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan Cheese, fresh parsley and lemon juice.
⚠️ TIPS FOR THE BEST SHRIMP FETTUCCINE
✔️ Cook the fettuccine al dente. That means it's cooked through but still firm, not mushy.
✔️ Use fresh lemon juice.
✔️ When zesting a lemon, avoid zesting the white part of the peel. This pith is bitter.
✔️ Make sure all your ingredients are measured and nearby when making your cream sauce. This part goes quickly and requires your full attention and constant whisking so you won't be able to leave the sauce to get another ingredient.
STORAGE TIPS
Don't throw out your leftovers! You can store them for later!
Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Freeze: Due to the nature of the cream sauce, this does not freeze well after it's been cooked.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH CREAMY FETTUCCINE
Enjoy shrimp fettuccine with a simple salad, some roasted vegetables and some bread. Don't forget the dessert!
MORE PASTA RECIPES
While we love creamy lemon garlic shrimp fettuccine, we also love some of these other recipes and think you will as well.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
A perfectly cooked shrimp has an opaque pink color with a sheen and is firm enough to curl into a nice C shape.
Cooking shrimp in a skillet or pan with a little butter or oil is one of the easiest ways to do it.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fettuccine
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 tablespoon butter - unsalted
- 1 pound medium raw shrimp - peeled and deveined
- 6 garlic cloves minced - divided
- ½ tspn red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ tspn salt
- ¼ tspn pepper
- 2 tablespoon flour
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup pesto
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
Boil pasta in salted water until al dente.
Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When the olive oil is hot, add 2 tablespoons of butter, melt.
In a bowl, mix 3 minced garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Add shrimp and coat.
Add the shrimp to the hot pan. Cook and flip shrimp for approximately 4-5 minutes or just until shrimp are curled and cooked through.
Remove shrimp and seasonings to a bowl. Set aside.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the same pan. Add 3 minced garlic cloves and saute 30 seconds.
Add the flour to make a roux and whisk together for 1 minute, then turn heat to low.
Slowly whisk in chicken broth, heavy cream and pesto. Continue whisking until the sauce is smooth.
Turn heat to medium high. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Heat approximately 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened.
Reduce heat to low. Add in lemon juice and Parmesan cheese until melted.
Add the shrimp with juices and pasta to the sauce. Stir until well coated in sauce.
Season with additional salt, pepper to taste.
Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan Cheese, fresh parsley and lemon juice.
Notes
- Serve while hot. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. Does not freeze well.
- Serve with your favorite salad or steamed vegetables.
Kevin Foodie says
Huge fan of shrimp. Love the sauce that bathe the pasta and shrimp. Thank for sharing this easy and delicious recipe; very appealing presentation 😋
Andrea + Stef says
Thanks, Kevin!
Emily says
Delicious! I can't wait to make this for my husband who loves shrimp! Such a bonus that I already have all the ingredients 🙂
Ieva says
Wonderful recipe! Pesto and cream work so well with shrimp! One of our favourite pasta dishes s far! Thanks a lot!
Anjali says
This is such a perfect pasta dish for spring and summer! Not too heavy, light and citrusy - and super satisfying!
Savita says
Shrimp and pasta is my all-time favorite combo, perfect pasta dinner.
Katherine says
This is a perfect quick midweek dinner! So many great flavors.
Sharon says
This shrimp scampi meets shrimp fettuccine alfredo is a wonderful combination for a delicious dinner.
Heather says
Wow a perfect weeknight dinner! The sauce was delicious!
Amy Casey says
I have all the ingredients on hand and I am making this recipe for dinner tonight. I love the touch of heavy cream in the sauce ~ so decadent!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
As someone with a ginormous lemon tree, I’m always looking for lemon dishes. This recipe is simply scrumptious!
Ann says
This dish looks so delicious! I love a good shrimp fettuccine recipe! Love the idea of a lemon garlic sauce! Excited to give this recipe a try!
Amanda Mason says
This was such a delicious recipe! I made it for date night for me and my husband and he loved it just as much as I did! Definitely will be making it again!
Veronika says
This recipe is amazing! I made it yesterday and my whole family loved it! So easy to make and has lots of flavor.
Jessica says
This pasta was a huge hit with my family! I love how simple it is to prepare and that it's cooked in one skillet so the clean-up is a breeze. As a single mom, I can't begin to express how much I appreciate that. Definitely adding this to our weeknight dinner rotation.
Tristin says
This was delish! It came out super flavorful and was easy enough to make during the week. Definitely making again!
Jacqueline Debono says
I love how you've mixed pesto into your cream sauce. This shrimp fettuccine looks and sounds divine. On my to make list!